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Water homeostasis in the fish oocyte: new insights into the role and molecular regulation of a teleost-specific aquaporin

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Abstract

The discovery of the role of a teleost-specific aquaporin (Aqp1ab) during the process of oocyte hydration in marine fish producing pelagic (floating) eggs, recently confirmed by molecular approaches, has revealed that this mechanism is more sophisticated than initially thought. Recent phylogenetic and genomic studies suggest that Aqp1ab likely evolved by tandem duplication from a common ancestor and further neofunctionalized in oocytes for water transport. Investigations into the regulation of Aqp1ab during oogenesis indicate that the mRNA and protein product are highly accumulated during early oocyte growth, possibly through the transcriptional activation of the aqp1ab promoter by the classical nuclear progesterone receptor and perhaps by Sry-related high mobility group [HMG]-box (Sox) transcription factors. During oocyte growth and maturation, Aqp1ab intracellular trafficking may be regulated by phosphorylation and/or dephosphorylation of specific C-terminal residues in Aqp1ab, as well as by signal-mediated sorting processes. These mechanisms possibly regulate the temporal insertion of Aqp1ab into the oocyte plasma membrane during oocyte hydration, although the intracellular signaling pathways involved are yet unknown. Interestingly, in some freshwater species that spawn partially hydrated eggs, high accumulation of transcripts encoding functional Aqp1ab channels have also been found in the ovary. These findings suggest that the Aqp1ab-mediated mechanism for oocyte hydration is likely conserved in teleosts. The tight regulation of Aqp1ab during oogenesis, at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels, highlights the essential physiological role of this water channel and opens new research avenues for understanding the molecular basis of egg formation in fish.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and the Research Council of Norway FriBio (204813) programme for the continuous financial support. C. Z. and F. C. were supported by predoctoral (FPI) and postdoctoral (Juan de la Cierva Programme) fellowships, respectively, from MICINN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)-Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Cerdà, C. Zapater & F. Chauvigné

  2. Institute of Biology, Bergen High Technology Center, University of Bergen, PO Box 7803, N-5020, Bergen, Norway

    R. N. Finn

  3. Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, N-5817, Bergen, Norway

    R. N. Finn

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  1. J. Cerdà
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  2. C. Zapater
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  3. F. Chauvigné
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  4. R. N. Finn
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Correspondence to J. Cerdà.

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Cerdà, J., Zapater, C., Chauvigné, F. et al. Water homeostasis in the fish oocyte: new insights into the role and molecular regulation of a teleost-specific aquaporin. Fish Physiol Biochem 39, 19–27 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9608-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9608-2

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