TY - JOUR
T1 - Differentiation of steroid-producing cells during ovarian differentiation in the protogynous malabar grouper, epinephelus malabaricus
AU - Murata, Ryosuke
AU - Karimata, Hirofumi
AU - Kobayashi, Yasuhisa
AU - Horiguchi, Ryo
AU - Kishimoto, Kazuo
AU - Kimura, Motofumi
AU - Kobayashi, Tohru
AU - Soyano, Kiyoshi
AU - Nakamura, Masaru
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - To understand the mechanism of sex differentiation in the protogynous Malabar grouper Epinephelus malabaricus, we performed an immunohistochemical investigation of the expression of three steroidogenic enzymes, cholesterol-side-chain-cleavage enzyme (CYP11a), aromatase (CYP19a1a), and cytochrome P45011beta-hydroxylase (CYP11b), in the gonads during ovarian differentiation. Strong positive immunoreactivity against CYP11a, the key enzyme of steroidogenesis, and CYP19a1a which is essential for estrogen (17beta-estradiol) production, appeared first in the somatic cells surrounding gonial germ cells in undifferentiated gonads and throughout ovarian differentiation. However, positive immunoreactivity against CYP11b, which is important for androgen (11-ketotestosterone) production, first appeared in the cluster of somatic cells in the ovary tunica near the dorsal blood vessel after differentiation. CYP19a1a and CYP11b did not co-localize in any cells. These results indicate that there are two types of steroid-producing cells, estrogen-producing cells and androgen-producing cells, in the gonads of this fish, and they are distributed differently, suggesting that these cells are derived from different somatic cells. Estrogen-producing cells appeared prior to ovarian differentiation, while androgen-producing cells were first detected after ovarian differentiation. These results suggest that endogenous estrogen is involved in ovarian differentiation.
AB - To understand the mechanism of sex differentiation in the protogynous Malabar grouper Epinephelus malabaricus, we performed an immunohistochemical investigation of the expression of three steroidogenic enzymes, cholesterol-side-chain-cleavage enzyme (CYP11a), aromatase (CYP19a1a), and cytochrome P45011beta-hydroxylase (CYP11b), in the gonads during ovarian differentiation. Strong positive immunoreactivity against CYP11a, the key enzyme of steroidogenesis, and CYP19a1a which is essential for estrogen (17beta-estradiol) production, appeared first in the somatic cells surrounding gonial germ cells in undifferentiated gonads and throughout ovarian differentiation. However, positive immunoreactivity against CYP11b, which is important for androgen (11-ketotestosterone) production, first appeared in the cluster of somatic cells in the ovary tunica near the dorsal blood vessel after differentiation. CYP19a1a and CYP11b did not co-localize in any cells. These results indicate that there are two types of steroid-producing cells, estrogen-producing cells and androgen-producing cells, in the gonads of this fish, and they are distributed differently, suggesting that these cells are derived from different somatic cells. Estrogen-producing cells appeared prior to ovarian differentiation, while androgen-producing cells were first detected after ovarian differentiation. These results suggest that endogenous estrogen is involved in ovarian differentiation.
KW - 11-ketotestosterone
KW - 17beta-estradiol
KW - Grouper
KW - Protogynous hermaphrodite
KW - Steroid-producing cell
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U2 - 10.1387/ijdb.103181rm
DO - 10.1387/ijdb.103181rm
M3 - Article
C2 - 21948710
AN - SCOPUS:80052724367
VL - 55
SP - 619
EP - 625
JO - International Journal of Developmental Biology
JF - International Journal of Developmental Biology
SN - 0214-6282
IS - 6
ER -