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The variation of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of the ovaries and pyloric caeca of the starfishAsterias rubens during the annual reproductive cycle

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The activity of the enzyme 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) in the ovaries and pyloric caeca ofAsterias rubens during the annual reproductive cycle has been investigated in vitro, using pregnenolone as the substrate. The activity was expressed as the percentage conversion of pregnenolone into progesterone.

  2. 2.

    3β-HSD is hardly active in both tissues during the resting stage (stage 1) of the annual reproductive cycle. At the end of stage 1 the 3β-HSD activity increases and a maximum is reached during the early growth stage (stage 2). During late growth and partial maturation (stage 3) 3β-HSD activity declines progressively to a low level, and this is maintained during the maturation stage (stage 4).

  3. 3.

    A positive correlation was found between the 3β-HSD activities of ovaries and pyloric caeca.

  4. 4.

    Some morphological and histolotical changes in the ovaries appear to coincide with variations in the 3β-HSD activity.

  5. 5.

    The significance of these results will be discussed.

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Abbreviations

pregnenolone :

3ß-hydroxypregn-5-ene-20-one

progesterone :

pregn-4-ene-3, 20-dione

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Chemical Animal Physiology, and Section Comparative Endocrinology of the Zoological Laboratory, State University of Utrecht, 8 Padualaan, NL-3508 TB, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    H. J. N. Schoenmakers

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  1. H. J. N. Schoenmakers
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Schoenmakers, H.J.N. The variation of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of the ovaries and pyloric caeca of the starfishAsterias rubens during the annual reproductive cycle. J Comp Physiol B 138, 27–30 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688731

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688731

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