初情期母牛下丘脑-垂体-卵巢转录组分析

通过对3头18月龄安格斯牛下丘脑-垂体-卵巢组织进行转录组测序和生物信息学比较分析,筛选和挖掘与肉牛繁殖活动相关候选基因和信号通路。通过转录组测序,进行表达基因分析、GO和KEGG富集分析以及信号通路筛选。结果显示,共获得61.92 Gb Clean Data,各样品Clean Data均达到6.88 Gb,Q30碱基百分比在92.42%及以上。有15154个基因在所有组织中都有表达,有4780个基因只在2种组织器官中共同表达,有5809个基因只在其中的一个组织器官中表达。下丘脑-垂体-卵巢各组织所表达的基因中,在GO数据库得到注释的分别为2168,2101,13777个,在KEGG数据库中得到注释分别有12477,12446,12176个。在所有KEGG通路中,Notch信号通路(notch signaling pathway)、神经营养因子信号通路(neurotrophin signaling pathway)和血管内皮生长因子信号通路(VEGF signaling pathway)的表达频率最高,说明这些信号通路可能也参与下丘脑-垂体-卵巢轴对母牛繁殖活动的调节。     

Pituitary gland abscess in a horse subsequent to head trauma

A 5-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with recent history of head trauma presented with multiple facial swellings, bilateral mucopurulent nasal discharge, neck pain, inappetence and depression. On computed tomographic examination, lesions within the pituitary fossa and structures adjacent to the right guttural pouch were identified. Soft tissue swelling was seen in the dorsal aspect of the right guttural pouch surrounding several cranial nerves, with fluid-like material in the dependent portions of the right guttural pouch. A CSF sample revealed mild mixed pleocytosis and increased protein concentration. The horse had concurrent periapical disease of the 209-cheek tooth and mild left sinusitis. The horse's demeanour deteriorated requiring euthanasia. Post-mortem examination revealed a pituitary gland abscess.     

A drop in ambient temperature results in a transient reduction of interrenal ACTH responsiveness in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.)

This study investigated the effects of a drop in water temperature (18 °C to 9 °C in 24 h) on the pituitary and interrenal hormones of the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata. The in vitro sensitivity of the interrenal tissue to ACTH, plasma levels of cortisol, ACTH, -MSH, GH, glucose, lactate and ions were determined. In vitro ACTH, stimulated the release of cortisol from isolated interrenal glands from control gilthead sea bream in a concentration dependent fashion. However, the interrenal cells were less sensitive to ACTH as soon as 24 h following the onset of the temperature drop. At this time, plasma cortisol and ACTH levels were raised, and plasma GH concentrations were decreased, whereas no significant changes were found in plasma -MSH. After 96 h plasma ACTH levels had recovered whereas plasma cortisol levels were still higher than controls after 8 days of the beginning of the experiment. Interrenal sensitivity had recovered after 8 days. The results may help to clarify the relationship between the stress response and the aetiology of the winter syndrome in sea bream.     

The reproductive brain in fish

In fish as in other vertebrates, the brain is actively involved in the control of reproduction, first by participating, under the influence of external factors, in the establishment of an appropriate endocrine status, but also by allowing synchronization of the partners by the time of spawning. It is now well established that the pituitary gonadotropic function is controlled by multiple stimulatory and inhibitory factors, originating mainly from the preoptic region and the mediobasal hypothalamus, both target regions for sexual steroids. Little is known about the mechanisms involved in the mediation of external and internal factors, however there is indication that internal factors, such as androgens and melatonin, known to trigger particular behavioural and endocrine responses, act both at the level of neuroendocrine territories, but also on sensorial systems, which are the actual sites of action for external factors. This paper represents an attempt to summarize and integrate the recent literature devoted to the different aspects of the brain as a major participant in the complex endocrine and behavioural mechanisms of reproduction in fish.