Photoperiod effects on the expression of kisspeptin and gonadotropin genes in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, during first maturation

In order to investigate the potential role of the kisspeptin system in the entrainment of reproduction in Atlantic cod, qPCR assays were developed for kiss2 and its receptor kissr4. mRNA expression was monitored in the brain over a full reproductive cycle in 2 populations of males and females: 1) a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Main Authors: Cowan, Mairi, Davie, Andrew, Migaud, Herve
Other Authors: Machrihanish, Institute of Aquaculture, orcid:0000-0002-9524-618X, orcid:0000-0002-5404-7512
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2012
Subjects:
Atlantic cod
Kisspeptin
Brain
Maturation
Continuous light
atlantic cod
Gadus morhua
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1893/9350
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2012.05.191
http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/9350/1/migaud_CBPA_2012.pdf
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Summary:In order to investigate the potential role of the kisspeptin system in the entrainment of reproduction in Atlantic cod, qPCR assays were developed for kiss2 and its receptor kissr4. mRNA expression was monitored in the brain over a full reproductive cycle in 2 populations of males and females: 1) a maturing population (exposed to simulated natural photoperiod, SNP) and 2) a maturation inhibited population (exposed to constant light, LL). Pituitary expression of gonadotropin subunit mRNA (fshβ and lhβ) was also measured. Results from this study indicated no clear temporal pattern in expression of kiss2 or kissr4 mRNAs in either population of cod, however acute elevations were apparent in maturing (SNP) individuals, namely an elevation in kiss2 in vitellogenic females and spermiating males and spikes in kissr4 during early vitellogenesis in females and spermatogenesis in males. Gonadotropin mRNA expression displayed strong amplitudinal changes over time with fshβ and lhβ mRNA expression increasing towards spawning in maturing individuals. No firm conclusions on the role of the kisspeptin system in cod puberty can be drawn at this stage, however mRNA increases in kiss2 and kissr4 may elude to conserved kisspeptin functions in cod and opens up interesting avenues on potential gender specific functions.

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