Effects of Latency Periods and Injection Doses with Carp Pituitary Extract on Spawning Performance and Egg Quality of Asian Catfish,Clarias batrachus (Linn.)

ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the spawning performance and egg quality of Clarias batrachus at variable latency periods (11, 14, 17, 20, and 23 h) and doses of carp pituitary extract (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/kg). The fish could not be stripped at 11 h latency with 10 or 20 mg carp pituitary extract (CPE). The highest quantity of eggs was obtained at 14 to 23 h latency with 30–40 mg CPE or 50 mg CPE with 14 to 17 h latency, which did not vary significantly (P < 0.05) at a water temperature of 27°C–28.5°C. The eggs did not fertilize and hatch when stripped at 11-h latency period. Over 80% of total eggs stripped from females injected with 30 and 40–50 mg CPE per kg body weight, and stripped at 14 to 23 h and 14- to 17-h latency, respectively, were fertilized. However, the highest (P < 0.05) number of larvae was obtained from females injected with 40 mg CPE and stripped at 14 or 17 h latency periods. Therefore, this CPE dose and 17 h latency period combination was regarded as the best for obtaining the highest number of larvae during induced spawning of C. batrachus.     

The effects of gonadal development and sex steroids on growth hormone secretion in the male tilapia hybrid (Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus)

Profiles of plasma growth hormone (GH) in male tilapia hybrid (Oreochromis niloticus x O. aureus) were measured and compared at different times of the year. The profiles did not appear to be repetitive, however, differences in their nature were observed at the different seasons; the most erratic profiles were seen in the height of the reproductive season (July), while the peaks were more subdued in the spring and disappeared in the autumn. Peaks in male fish were more prominent than in the females when measured in July. Perifused pituitary fragments from fish with a high GSI responded to salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone (sGnRH) analog (10 nM-1 M), while those from fish with a low GSI barely responded to even the highest dose. Exposure of perifused pituitary fragments from sexually-regressed fish to carp growth hormone-releasing hormone (cGHRH; 0.1 M) or sGnRH (I M) stimulated GH release only after injection of the fish with methyl testosterone (MT; 3 injections of 0.4 mg kg ¹). The same MT pretreatment did not alter the response to dopamine (DA; 1 or 10 M). GH pituitary content in MT-treated fish was lower than in control fish, which may be explained by the higher circulating GH levels in these fish, but does not account for the increased response to the releasing hormones. Castration abolished the response of cultured pituitary cells to sGnRH (I fM-100 nM) without altering either their basal rate of secretion or circulating GH levels. Addition of steroids to the culture medium (MT or estradiol at 10 nM for 2 days) enabled a GH response to sGnRH stimulation in cells from sexually regressed fish. Pituitary cells which had not been exposed to steroids failed to respond to sGnRH, although their response to forskolin or TPA was similar to that of steroid-exposed cells. It would appear, therefore, that at least one of the effects of the sex steroids on the response to GnRH is exerted proximally to the formation of cAMP, or PKC, presumably at the level of the receptor. An increase in the number of receptors to the GH-releasing hormones, following steroid exposure, would explain also the changing nature of the GH secretory profile in different stages of the reproductive season.     

藏鸡与白羽肉鸡垂体转录组差异表达研究

试验旨在通过对藏鸡和白羽肉鸡垂体转录组测序和生物信息学分析,筛选出与鸡生长发育相关的差异表达基因（differentially expression genes,DEGs）及信号通路。本研究选用42日龄健康藏鸡和白羽肉鸡各3只,分别采集垂体组织利用Illumina HiSeq 2000平台进行转录组mRNA测序,对筛选到的DEGs筛选DEGs,GO和KEGG数据库功能注释和富集分析,实时荧光定量PCR验证随机挑选的DEGs表达水平。结果显示,藏鸡和白羽肉鸡分别获得126 094 302和125 666 442条clean reads。与白羽肉鸡相比,藏鸡垂体组织中共有DEGs 392个,其中196个为上调基因,196个为下调基因（P<0.05）,其中包括生长激素（GH）基因、生长激素释放激素受体（GHRHR）基因和胰岛素样生长因子2 mRNA结合蛋白1（IGF2BP1）基因。GO和KEGG富集分析发现,DEGs显著富集于细胞黏附分子信号通路和神经活性配体-受体相互作用信号通路等细胞通讯相关的信号通路,GH、GHRHR和IGF2BP1基因也显著富集于神经活性配体-受体相互作用信号通路。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,转录组测序结果准确可靠。综上研究,本研究初步揭示了影响藏鸡和白羽肉鸡生长发育速度差异的关键候选基因和信号通路,为了解鸡垂体组织调节生长发育的分子机制提供了理论依据。     

Expression and localization of tight junction-related proteins in adult rat pituitary stem/progenitor cell niches

Pituitary endocrine cells are supplied by Sox2-expressing stem/progenitor cells in the anterior lobe of the adult pituitary gland. These SOX2-positive cells are maintained in two types of microenvironments (niches): the marginal cell layer (MCL)-niche and the parenchymal-niche. Recently, we isolated dense SOX2-positive cell clusters from the parenchymal-niche by taking advantage of their resistance to protease treatment as parenchymal stem/progenitor cell (PS)-clusters. In the present study, by analyzing these isolated PS-clusters, we attempted to identify novel structural characteristics of pituitary stem/progenitor cell niches. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that tight junction-related genes were distinctly expressed in the isolated PS-clusters. Immunocytostaining showed that the tight junction molecules, ZO-1 and occludin, were localized in the apical membrane facing the pseudo-follicle-like structure of the isolated PS-clusters regardless of the expression of S100β, which distinguishes the sub-population of SOX2-positive cells. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry of the pituitary glands of adult rats clearly demonstrated that ZO-1 and occludin were densely present in the parenchymal-niche encircling the pseudo-follicle, while they were observed in the apical membrane in the MCL-niche facing the residual lumen. Collectively, these tight junction-related proteins might be involved in the architecture and maintenance of the plasticity of pituitary stem/progenitor cell niches.     

HSD17B12基因对湖羊垂体细胞促性腺激素合成的影响

旨在探索湖羊垂体中17β-羟类固醇脱氢酶12(HSD17B12)基因对垂体激素分泌的影响.本研究挑选体重相近(40 kg左右)且健康的性成熟湖羊公羊(9月龄)3只,采集垂体组织进行HSD17B12基因CDS区扩增及蛋白同源性分析,确定其CDS区序列.利用免疫组化分析HSD17B12在性成熟雄性湖羊垂体中的表达定位.体外...