PUBLICATION

Hypoxia affects sex differentiation and development, leading to a male-dominated population in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Authors
Shang, E.H., Yu, R.M., and Wu, R.S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-060531-13
Date
2006
Source
Environmental science & technology   40(9): 3118-3122 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • DNA Primers/chemistry
  • DNA, Complementary/metabolism
  • Environment
  • Estradiol/metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Hypoxia*
  • Male
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Sex Determination Processes
  • Sex Differentiation/physiology*
  • Testosterone/metabolism
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
16719120 Full text @ Env. Sci. Tech.
Abstract
Hypoxia is affecting thousands of square kilometers of water and has caused declines in fish populations and major changes in aquatic communities worldwide. For the first time, we report that hypoxia can affect sex differentiation and sex development of zebrafish (Danio rerio), leading to a male-biased population in the F1 generation (74.4% +/- 1.7% males in the hypoxic groups versus 61.9% +/- 1.6% males in the normoxic groups, n = 5; p < 0.05, chi2 test). The increase in males was associated with downregulations of various genes controlling the synthesis of sex hormones (i.e., 3beta-HSD, CYP11A, CYP19A, and CYP19B) as well as an increase in the testosterone/estradiol ratio. The male-dominated populations caused by hypoxia will have reduced reproductive success, thereby threatening the sustainability of natural fish populations.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping