Abstract
Smad2, a receptor-activated Smad, plays a critical role in regulating gametogenesis. In this study, a smad2 homologue was identified and sequenced from ricefield eel ovary cDNA, and its mRNA and protein expression levels were analysed during oocyte development. The cDNA sequence of ricefield eel smad2 consisted of 1863 bp encoding a 467-amino acid protein that had high sequence homology with Smad proteins in other teleosts, especially in Poeciliopsis prolifica. The results of real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that smad2 is expressed in the ovary during gonad development, increased continuously until the early vitellogenic stage in the ovaries, and then decreased with ovary maturation. Smad2 protein immunoreactivity was localized in the cytoplasm of follicular cells, oogonia, and primary growth stage oocytes. In vitro experiments revealed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) promoted smad2 expression in ovary tissue in a time- and dose-dependent manner, respectively. In summary, Smad2 plays a potentially vital role in ricefield eel ovary development.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Jiayang He, Liang He, Songpei Zhang, Jie Luo and Huibin Ruan for their assistance in the preparation of tissue samples.
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This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 31402286, 2015; 31972777, 2019).
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All procedures and investigations were reviewed and approved by the Animal Research and Ethics Committees of Sichuan Agricultural University and were performed in accordance with the guidelines of the committee.
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He, Z., Deng, F., Xiong, S. et al. Expression and regulation of Smad2 by gonadotropins in the protogynous hermaphroditic ricefield eel (Monopterus albus). Fish Physiol Biochem 46, 1155–1165 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-020-00778-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-020-00778-9