Characterization and differential expression of three GnRH forms during reproductive development in cultured turbot <i>Schophthalmus maximus</i> -- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2018,36(4):1360-1373

	Cite this paper:
	ZHAO Chunyan, XU Shihong, FENG Chengcheng, LIU Yifan, YANG Yang, WANG Yanfeng, XIAO Yongshuang, SONG Zongcheng, LIU Qinghua, LI Jun. Characterization and differential expression of three GnRH forms during reproductive development in cultured turbot Schophthalmus maximus[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2018, 36(4): 1360-1373

Characterization and differential expression of three GnRH forms during reproductive development in cultured turbot Schophthalmus maximus

ZHAO Chunyan^1,2,3, XU Shihong^1,2, FENG Chengcheng^1,2,3, LIU Yifan^1,3, YANG Yang^1,2,3, WANG Yanfeng^1,3, XIAO Yongshuang^1,3, SONG Zongcheng⁴, LIU Qinghua^1,3, LI Jun^1,3

1 Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China;
2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
3 Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China;
4 Weihai Shenghang Aquatic Product Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Weihai 264200, China

Abstract:

Turbots (Schophthalmus maximus), one of the most important economic marine flatfish species, fail to undergo final spawning and spermiation naturally under artificial farming conditions. In vertebrates, reproduction is regulated by the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis (BPG-axis), and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is one of its key components. Therefore, to better understand the physiology of reproduction in the turbot, three of the genes encoding GnRH subtypes-sbGnRH, cGnRH-Ⅱ and sGnRH-were cloned and sequenced by isolating the cDNA sequences. The localizations and patterns of expression of their mRNAs were also evaluated during seasonal gonadal development. All three mRNAs were expressed abundantly in the brain; sbGnRH and sGnRH mRNAs were also detected in the gonads and pituitary gland, and sbGnRH expression was much higher than that of sGnRH, indicating the critical role of sbGnRH in regulating the BPG-axis. Moreover, the brain expression patterns of sbGnRH and sGnRH mRNAs showed an increased trend during gonadal development, peaking in mature stages. This indicated the direct regulation of gonadal development by the GnRH system. In addition, cGnRH-Ⅱ mRNA expression showed no significant variations, suggesting that cGnRH-Ⅱ is not critically involved in the control of reproduction. Further, the mRNA abundances of the three GnRH forms in the breeding season were significantly higher than those in immature and post-breeding stages in all analyzed brain areas. Therefore, we propose that sbGnRH is the most important hormone for the regulation of reproduction in turbot via the BPG-axis. These results will help in better understanding the reproductive endocrine mechanisms of turbots and lay the groundwork for additional studies aimed at comparing the reproductive physiology of wild individuals with those raised under artificial conditions.

Key words: turbot|GnRH|brain|gonad|reproductive development

Received: 2017-03-06 Revised:

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Articles by ZHAO Chunyan

Articles by XU Shihong

Articles by FENG Chengcheng

Articles by LIU Yifan

Articles by YANG Yang

Articles by WANG Yanfeng

Articles by XIAO Yongshuang

Articles by SONG Zongcheng

Articles by LIU Qinghua

Articles by LI Jun

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