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Foxl2 of the Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus): cDNA cloning, tissue distribution and changes in gene expression towards methyltestosterone, estradiol and letrozole exposure of the fries during gonadal differentiation

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Abstract

Winged helix/forkhead transcription factor gene 2 (Foxl2) plays a crucial role during early ovarian development in fish. Sex steroids and aromatase inhibitors can regulate gonadal differentiation in teleosts. To address the role of Foxl2 in gonadal differentiation, foxl2 was isolated and characterized from the Hong Kong catfish, Clarias fuscus. Tissue distribution analysis by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) showed that the foxl2 mRNA was highest in the ovaries; moderate in the female pituitary and hypothalamus; but weak in the forebrain, liver, testis and male pituitary, with a sexually dimorphic pattern in which there was higher expression overall in females versus males. Treatment of the fries during the period of gonadal differentiation [2–30 days post hatching (dph)] with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT), an aromatase inhibitor (letrozole) and 17β-estradiol (E2) affected the expression of foxl2. The expression of foxl2 was highest before gonadal differentiation (12 dph), but decreased significantly after gonadal differentiation (18-30 dph). In addition, MT and letrozole were able to down-regulate foxl2, but E2 up-regulated foxl2 during gonadal morphological differentiation. These results indicate the significant roles of Foxl2 in the gonadal differentiation of C. fuscus.

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Abbreviations

qPCR:

Quantitative real-time PCR

Foxl2:

Winged helix/forkhead transcription factor gene 2

MT:

17α-methyltestosterone

E2 :

17β-estradiol

dph:

Days post hatching

B-P-G axis:

Brain-pituitary-gonad axis

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

RACE:

Rapid amplification of cDNA ends

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31272640), the key project of Guangxi Science & Technology Development (1140009-4), project of Yulin Science & Technology Development (12067031), Sail Project of Guangdong and Special projects of Guangdong Ocean and Fisheries Science & Technology Extension (Agricultural Finance of Guangdong [2014] 600).

Animal ethics

All animal experiments throughout the study were conducted in accordance with the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals for the Science and Technology Bureau of China.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China

    Si-ping Deng, Chun-hua Zhu, Jing Sun, Wen-da Wang, Tian-li Wu, Hua-pu Chen, Shang-li Shi & Guang-li Li

  2. Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China

    Si-ping Deng, Chun-hua Zhu, Jing Sun, Wen-da Wang, Tian-li Wu, Hua-pu Chen, Shang-li Shi & Guang-li Li

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  1. Si-ping Deng
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Correspondence to Guang-li Li.

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Deng, Sp., Zhu, Ch., Sun, J. et al. Foxl2 of the Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus): cDNA cloning, tissue distribution and changes in gene expression towards methyltestosterone, estradiol and letrozole exposure of the fries during gonadal differentiation. Genes Genom 37, 669–677 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13258-015-0296-z

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