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Gonadotropins I and II in juvenile coho salmon

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Abstract

The present study was designed to obtain basic endocrine information on GTH I and GTH II in previtellogenic and prespermatogenic coho salmon (immature). Levels of GTH II in pituitary extracts were 6.5 ± 2.0 and 6.7 ± 2.0 pg/μg pituitary protein in male and female fish, respectively. In contrast, the pituitary content of GTH I was approximately 100-fold higher than GTH II (1.302 ± .22 and 1.173 ± .21 ng/μg pituitary protein in male and female fish, respectively). Plasma levels of GTH II in immature salmon were not detectable by RIA whereas plasma GTH I levels were approximately 0.62 ± 0.12 and 0.78 ± 0.13 ng/ml in male and female fish, respectively. Highly purified coho salmon GTH I and GTH II stimulated testicular testosterone production and ovarian estradiol productionin vitro in a similar manner, though GTH II appeared more potent than GTH I. Therefore, it appears that although the salmon pituitary contains predominantly GTH I prior to puberty, the gonad can respond to both GTH I and GTH II.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Fisheries, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, U.S.A.

    Penny Swanson, M. Bernard & W. W. Dickhoff

  2. Primate Res. Inst., Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan

    M. Nozaki

  3. Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, School of Fisheries Sciences, Kitasato Univ., Sanriku, Iwate, Japan

    K. Suzuki & H. Kawauchi

Authors
  1. Penny Swanson
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  2. M. Bernard
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  3. M. Nozaki
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  4. K. Suzuki
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  5. H. Kawauchi
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  6. W. W. Dickhoff
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Swanson, P., Bernard, M., Nozaki, M. et al. Gonadotropins I and II in juvenile coho salmon. Fish Physiol Biochem 7, 169–176 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00004704

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