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

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, c GnRH-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, c GnRH-II mRNA expression showed no significant variations, suggesting that c GnRH-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.

Histological change and heat shock protein 70 expression in different tissues of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus in response to elevated temperature

High temperature influences the homeostasis of fish.We investigated the effects of elevated temperature on tissues of Japanese flounder {Paralichthys olivaceus) by analyzing the histology and heat shock protein 70(hsp70) expression of fish reared in warm conditions.In this study,temperature was increased at l±0.5℃/day starting at 24±0.5℃,and was kept at that temperature for 5 days before the next rise.After raising temperature at the rate up to 32±0.5℃,tissue samples from midgut,spleen,stomach,liver,muscle,gill,heart,trunk kidney and brain were collected for histological analysis and mRNA assay.Almost all the tissues showed changes in morphological structure and hsp70 level at 32±0.5℃.Histological assessment of the tissues indicated that the gill had the most serious damage,including highly severe epithelial lifting and edema,curved tips and hyperemia at the ending of the lamellars,desquamation and necrosis.The next most severe damage was found in liver and kidney.The hsp70 levels in all the tissues first increased and then decreased.The gut,stomach,muscle,heart,and brain had the highest expressions in 6 h,whereas the spleen,liver,gill and kidney had the highest expressions in 2 h.Therefore,tissues with the most significant lesions(especially gill and liver) responded much earlier(2 h) in hsp70 expression than other tissues,and these tissues demonstrated the most marked histological disruption and elevated mRNA levels,making them ideal candidates for further studies on the thermal physiology of this species.

A potential germ cell-specific marker in Japanese flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus：identification and characterization of lymphocyte antigen 75(Ly75/CD205)

Some germ cell marker genes, such as vasa, nanos, and dead end( dnd), have been identified in fish. Recently, lymphocyte antigen 75(Ly75/CD205) has been identified as a mitotic germ cell-specific cell-surface marker in several fish species. In this study, the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus ly75 homolog( ly75) was cloned and its expression pattern in gonads was analyzed. The full-length c DNA of ly75 was 7 346 bp, with an open reading frame(ORF) of 5 229 bp. The ORF encoded a protein containing 1 742 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 196.89 k Da. In adult tissues, ly75 transcripts were detected in all analyzed tissues but abundantly in the testis. In in-situ hybridization analyses, ly75 mRNA was predominantly localized in oocytes in the ovary and spermatogonia in the testis, but ly75 mRNA was not detected in oogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, or spermatozoa. These results indicated that ly75 could be a potential germ cell-specific marker in P. olivaceus, as in other fishes.