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Increase in estrogen signaling in the early brain of orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides: a mini-review

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Abstract

Despite neurosteroidogenic enzymes are playing important roles in the regulation of brain development and function, the potential link between brain and gonad by the action of steroid hormones during gonadal sex differentiation is still not clear in teleosts. In this mini-review, we summarized our understanding on the early brain development related to the synthesis of neurosteroids and receptor signaling during gonadal sex differentiation in protogynous orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides (functional females for the first 6 years of life and start to sex change around the age of 7 years) and protandrous black porgy (functional males for the first 2 years of life but begin to change sex during the third year). We found a similar profile in the increased expression of brain aromatase gene (aromatatse B or cyp19a1b), aromatase activity, estradiol (E2), and estrogen signaling in the brain of both grouper and black porgy fish during gonadal sex differentiation. In contrast to mammals, teleost fish Cyp19a1b expressed in a unique cell type, a radial glial cell, which is acted as progenitors in the brain of developing and adult fish. In agreement with these pioneer studies, we demonstrated that the grouper cyp19a1b/Cyp19a1b was expressed in radial glial cells. Further, in vivo data in the grouper brain showed that exogenous E2 upregulated Cyp19a1b immunoreactivity (ir) in radial glial cells. These data suggest the possible roles of Cyp19a1b and E2 in early brain development which is presumably related to gonadal sex differentiation.

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Acknowledgment

This research work was partially supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan

    Ganesan Nagarajan, Adimoolam Aruna & Ching-Fong Chang

  2. Center of Excellence for Marine Bioenvironment and Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan

    Ching-Fong Chang

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  1. Ganesan Nagarajan
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  2. Adimoolam Aruna
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  3. Ching-Fong Chang
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Correspondence to Ching-Fong Chang.

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Nagarajan, G., Aruna, A. & Chang, CF. Increase in estrogen signaling in the early brain of orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides: a mini-review. Fish Physiol Biochem 39, 95–101 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9667-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9667-4

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