PUBLICATION

Histological and transcriptomic effects of 17?-methyltestosterone on zebrafish gonad development

Authors
Lee, S.L.J., Horsfield, J.A., Black, M.A., Rutherford, K., Fisher, A., Gemmell, N.J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170726-15
Date
2017
Source
BMC Genomics   18: 557 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Horsfield, Jules, Lee, Stephanie Ling Jie
Keywords
Androgens, Gonad differentiation, Sex differentiation, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Methyltestosterone/pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Animals
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/growth & development
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Female
  • Sex Ratio
  • Transcriptome/drug effects*
  • Ovary/cytology
  • Ovary/drug effects*
  • Ovary/growth & development*
  • Ovary/metabolism
  • Spermatogenesis/drug effects
  • Spermatogenesis/genetics
  • Testis/cytology
  • Testis/drug effects*
  • Testis/growth & development*
  • Testis/metabolism
(all 19)
PubMed
28738802 Full text @ BMC Genomics
Abstract
Background Sex hormones play important roles in teleost ovarian and testicular development. In zebrafish, ovarian differentiation appears to be dictated by an oocyte-derived signal via Cyp19a1a aromatase-mediated estrogen production. Androgens and aromatase inhibitors can induce female-to-male sex reversal, however, the mechanisms underlying gonadal masculinisation are poorly understood. We used histological analyses together with RNA sequencing to characterise zebrafish gonadal transcriptomes and investigate the effects of 17?-methyltestosterone on gonadal differentiation.
Results At a morphological level, 17?-methyltestosterone (MT) masculinised gonads and accelerated spermatogenesis, and these changes were paralleled in masculinisation and de-feminisation of gonadal transcriptomes. MT treatment upregulated expression of genes involved in male sex determination and differentiation (amh, dmrt1, gsdf and wt1a) and those involved in 11-oxygenated androgen production (cyp11c1 and hsd11b2). It also repressed expression of ovarian development and folliculogenesis genes (bmp15, gdf9, figla, zp2.1 and zp3b). Furthermore, MT treatment altered epigenetic modification of histones in zebrafish gonads. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of cyp19a1a or foxl2 expression in control ovaries compared to MT-treated testes and control testes were not statistically significant during early gonad development (40 dpf).
Conclusion Our study suggests that both androgen production and aromatase inhibition are important for androgen-induced gonadal masculinisation and natural testicular differentiation in zebrafish.
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zf45TgTransgenic Insertion
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    Marker Marker Type Name
    EGFPEFGEGFP
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    Citation
    Lee, S.L.J., Horsfield, J.A., Black, M.A., Rutherford, K., Fisher, A., Gemmell, N.J. (2017) Histological and transcriptomic effects of 17?-methyltestosterone on zebrafish gonad development. BMC Genomics. 18:557.