Abstract
The involvement of androgens during sex differentiation period was investigated in the pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis, by classic biochemical studies and gonadal histology. We studied in particular whether the enzyme activities involved in 11-oxygenated androgen production were active in a gonadal/peritoneum complex (GPC) of very small larvae exposed to masculinizing temperatures previous to morphological sex differentiation (5 weeks post-hatching). The GPC was incubated with 17-hydroxyprogesterone (3H-17P), and the presence of 11-KT as major metabolite in early gonads undergoing masculine pathway after temperature treatment exposure is reported. 11-KT was identified by thin-layer chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography. The present results show that 11-KT is produced at very early stages of testis development in pejerrey, being this androgen one of the main mediators of the masculinization induced by temperature treatment at the gonad level.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blasco M (2010) Steroidogenesis and gonadal sex differentiation in Odontesthes bonariensis. Doctoral thesis. Universidad Nacional de Gral. San Martín
Blasco M, Fernandino JI, Guilgur LG, Strussmann CA, Somoza GM, Vizziano-Cantonnet D (2010) Molecular characterization of cyp11a1 and cyp11b1 and their gene expression profile in pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis) during early gonadal development. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 156:110–118
Fostier A, Jalabert B, Billard R, Breton B, Zohar Y (1983) The gonadal steroids. In: Hoar WS, Randall DJ, Donaldson EM (eds) Fish physiology, vol 9A. Academic Press, New York, pp 277–372
Guiguen Y, Fostier A, Piferrer F, Chang CF (2010) Ovarian aromatase and estrogens: a pivotal role for gonadal sex differentiation and sex change in fish. Gen Comp Endocrinol 165:352–366
Hattori RS, Fernandino JI, Kishii A, Kimura H, Kinno T, Oura M, Somoza GM, Yokota M, Strussmann CA, Watanabe S (2009) Cortisol-induced masculinization: does thermal stress affect gonadal fate in pejerrey, a teleost fish with temperature-dependent sex determination? PLoS ONE 4(8):e6548
Ijiri S, Kaneko H, Kobayashi T, Wang DS, Sakai F, Paul-Prasanth B, Nakamura M, Nagahama Y (2008) Sexual dimorphic expression of genes in gonads during early differentiation of a teleost fish, the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Biol Reprod 78:333–341
Kime DE (1978) The hepatic catabolism of cortisol in teleost fish–adrenal origin of 11-oxotestosterone precursors. Gen Comp Endocrinol 35:322–328
Nakamura M (2010) The mechanism of sex determination in vertebrates-are sex steroids the key-factor? J Exp Zool A Ecol Genet Physiol 313:381–398
Saga T, Oota Y, Nozaki M, Swanson P (1993) Salmonid pituitary gonadotropes. III. Chronological appearance of GTH I and other adenohypophysial hormones in the pituitary of the developing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 92:233–241
Shinoda T, Miranda LA, Okuma K, Hattori RS, Fernandino JI, Yoshizaki G, Somoza GM, Strussmann CA (2010) Molecular cloning and expression analysis of Fshr and Lhr in relation to Fshb and Lhb subunits during the period of temperature-dependent sex determination in pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis. Mol Reprod Dev 77:521–532
Strüssmann CA, Saito T, Usui M, Yamada H, Takashima F (1997) Thermal thresholds and critical period of thermolabile sex determination in two atherinid fishes, Odontesthes bonariensis and Patagonina hatcheri. J Exp Zool 278:167–177
Vizziano D, Randuineau G, Baron D, Cauty C, Guiguen Y (2007) Characterization of early molecular sex differentiation in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Dev Dyn 236:2198–2206
Vizziano D, Baron D, Randuineau G, Mahè S, Cauty C, Guiguen Y (2008) Rainbow trout gonadal masculinization induced by inhibition of estrogen synthesis is more physiological than masculinization induced by androgen supplementation. Biol Reprod 78:939–946
Yamamoto TO (1969) Sex differentiation. In: Hoar WS, Randall DJ (eds) Fish physiology, vol 3. Academic Press, New York, pp 117–175
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blasco, M., Somoza, G.M. & Vizziano-Cantonnet, D. Presence of 11-ketotestosterone in pre-differentiated male gonads of Odontesthes bonariensis . Fish Physiol Biochem 39, 71–74 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9651-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9651-z