General and comparative endocrinology最新文献

{"title":"Intelectin-1 promotes granulosa cells proliferation and modulates apoptosis via ERK1/2, AKT, and insulin receptor signaling pathways in Large White and Meishan pigs","authors":"Karolina Pich ,&nbsp;Natalia Respekta-Długosz ,&nbsp;Patrycja Kurowska ,&nbsp;Małgorzata Opydo ,&nbsp;Nina Smolińska ,&nbsp;Joëlle Dupont ,&nbsp;Agnieszka Rak","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maintaining the proper balance between granulosa cells (Gc) proliferation and apoptosis is crucial for folliculogenesis and female fertility. Our previous study showed expression of omentin-1 (intelectin-1, ITLN1) in the porcine ovarian follicles; however, its impact on Gc functions remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the <em>in vitro</em> effects of ITLN1 on Gc proliferation and apoptosis in Large White (LW) and Meishan (MS) pigs. These breeds were chosen due to their distinct reproductive characteristics: MS pigs are known for maintaining a higher number of follicles during the follicular phase and exhibiting greater estradiol synthesis compared to LW pigs. Porcine Gc were incubated with ITLN1 (10–100 ng/mL) for 24–72 h, and the viability/proliferation (alamarBlue/BrdU assays), cell cycle progression (flow cytometry) and the gene and protein expression of proliferation/apoptotic markers (PCNA, cyclins A1, B2, D1, E1, caspases-3, −9, BCL-2, BAX, FAS, FADD, XIAP) (real-time PCR, western blotting) were assessed. Next, the effect of ITLN1 on the phosphorylation of several kinases (AKT, AMPK, ERK1/2, STAT3, PKA) and the gene and protein expression of the insulin receptor (INSR) were studied (real-time PCR, western blotting). Then, using pharmacological inhibitors of ERK1/2 (PD98059, 5 μM), AKT (LY294002, 10 μM) and INSR (1 μM), treated alone or with ITLN1 (S961, 50 ng/mL), we analyzed its involvement in the effects of ITLN1 on Gc proliferation/apoptosis. We demonstrated that ITLN1 had a mitogenic effect on Gc by enhancing cell cycle progression and modulating the levels of PCNA, cyclins and apoptotic factors <em>via</em> ERK1/2, AKT, and INSR, suggesting that ITLN1 is a newly identified regulator in ovarian folliculogenesis, regardless of the fatness degree of pigs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using transcriptome analysis to investigate the induction of vitellogenesis in female Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica)","authors":"Chenpeng Zuo ,&nbsp;Yonghang Zhang ,&nbsp;Xuanhan Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Liu ,&nbsp;Likang Lyu ,&nbsp;Teng Ma ,&nbsp;Lingming Chen ,&nbsp;Weimin Yu ,&nbsp;Yun Li ,&nbsp;Haishen Wen ,&nbsp;Xin Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oogenesis, encompassing folliculogenesis, development, and maturation, is a complex physiological process that is not solely regulated by gonadotropins but is also actively influenced by multiple growth factors produced by the oocyte and its surrounding follicular cells. The Japanese eel (<em>Anguilla japonica</em>) has a complex life history, resulting in many uncertainties regarding its growth, development, and reproduction. Under artificial culture conditions, oocyte development in the Japanese eel is arrested and can only progress to the vitellogenic stage through artificial induction. In the present study, we observed that, despite receiving the same hormone treatment as normally developing individuals, a small proportion of female eels exhibited oocytes arrested at the perinucleolar stage. Transcriptome analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes are involved in multiple reproductive-related physiological processes and functional pathways, such as tachykinin system, MAPK signaling pathway, steroid-related pathways, oocyte meiosis, Wnt signaling pathway and GnRH signaling pathway. The abnormal expression of the two follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) subunit genes may be a key factor contributing to this phenomenon. This study reveals the underlying causes of ovarian developmental arrest in hormonally induced female Japanese eels from the perspective of the brain–pituitary–gonad (BPG) axis, providing a research foundation for the artificial reproduction of Japanese eels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114729"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endocrine regulation of feeding in non-transgenic and transgenic fluorescent orange tiger barb (Puntigrus tetrazona)","authors":"Annika Lindstrom,&nbsp;Helene Volkoff","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114730","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114730","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tiger barbs are popular tropical aquarium fish but despite their economic importance, nothing is known about their feeding physiology, in particular their endocrine regulation of feeding. The tiger barb has also been used to make genetically modified fluorescent fish but the influence of this genetic modification on their physiology is poorly understood. In this study, we submitted both non-transgenic (NT) and transgenic fluorescent orange (T) fish to 2 weeks of fasting or different temperatures (20, 25 and 30 °C) and assessed food intake and the expression of appetite regulators in brain, intestine and liver. Fasting had no effect on appetite regulators in the intestine, and decreased liver leptin expression in NT fish only. Fasting caused an overall increase and decrease in brain orexigenic and anorexigenic factors, respectively. The nature of peptides affected by this response differed between strains (MCH, ghrelin, POMCb in both NT and T, orexin in NT only, CRF and CCK in T only). In both T and NT fish, increasing temperatures increased food intake. Temperature affected the expression of most of the peptides examined, but the effects differed between the two fish strains. A shift from 25 to 20 °C increased hepatic leptin in NT and T, and intestine ghrelin in NT and had no effect on brain expression. A shift from 25 to 30 °C did not affect intestine or liver expressions, increased orexin, MCH and CRF brain expression in NT and T, and increased POMCb and CCKa expressions in T. Our study presents new information on the endocrine regulation of feeding in tiger barb, and provides insights on how transgenesis might affect feeding physiology of fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114730"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular identification and reproductive function of spexin in the big-belly seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis)","authors":"Limiao Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuru Li ,&nbsp;Jiajun Li ,&nbsp;Weiqi Jin ,&nbsp;Jun Chen ,&nbsp;Bin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Limited data are available regarding reproductive endocrinology of seahorse. Here, we reported the potential function of spexin (SPX1) in the reproduction of seahorse. SPX1, also known as neuropeptide Q (NPQ), is a novel neuropeptide that coevolved with galanin and kisspeptin. In the current study, the entire open reading frame (ORF) sequence of <em>spx1</em> of the big-belly seahorse (<em>Hippocampus abdominalis</em>) was cloned and characterized, which is 360 base pairs in length, encoding a 119-amino acid precursor peptide, with a 26-aa signaling peptide and a 14-aa C-terminal amidated mature peptide. Tissue distribution expression profiles of <em>spx1</em> transcripts were analyzed and revealed that <em>spx1</em> mRNA could be detected in a variety of tissues, with the highest abundance in the mixture tissues of brain and pituitary. The expression profile of <em>spx1</em> mRNA in the mixture of brain and pituitary during the first reproductive cycle of the big-belly seahorse was evaluated, which showed that the expression level of <em>spx1</em> mRNA was highest during the critical period of ovarian and testicular transition from stage II to stage III at 3.5-month old, and high in females with IV-stage, V-stage and VI-stage, as well as in males with the early-stage brood pouch, suggesting that SPX1 may play a crucial role at these stages of gonadal and brood pouch development. Intraperitoneal injection of SPX1 can suppress the mRNA expressions of <em>galr2b</em> and <em>fshβ</em> in female seahorses, however, it promoted the mRNA expressions of <em>spx1</em>, <em>gal</em>, <em>kiss2</em>, <em>gnrh2</em>, <em>kiss2r</em>, <em>galr1a</em>, <em>galr2b, gnrh3</em> and <em>gnihr</em> in males, besides, low doses of SPX1 enhanced <em>lhβ</em> mRNA expression, while high dose of SPX1 suppressed it. Intraperitoneal injection of SPX1 did not alter the mRNA levels of <em>spx1</em>, <em>gal</em>, <em>kiss2</em>, <em>galr1a</em>, <em>galr2a</em>, <em>gnihr</em> or plasma 17β-E2 in females, nor did it change the mRNA levels of <em>galr2a</em>, <em>gthα</em>, <em>fshβ</em> or plasma 11-KT in males. These results revealed that SPX1 may participate in regulating reproduction of the big-belly seahorse by controlling production of GnRH2, GnRH3, FSH and LH of HPG axis, as well as some key hypothalamic neuropeptides including Kiss and GAL. Above all, our results indicate the presence of a functional SPX1 system in the big-belly seahorse, as well as reveal its potential significance in the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in this species, which also lay a foundation for future research on optimizing fish reproductive performance through the regulation of SPX1.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114721"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global analysis of ligand-gated ion channel conservation across Platyhelminthes","authors":"Víctor Hugo Caña-Bozada ,&nbsp;Ahmed A.Z. Dawoud ,&nbsp;Ivana Ramos-de la Cruz ,&nbsp;Lizeth C. Flores-Méndez ,&nbsp;Josué Barrera-Redondo ,&nbsp;Jesús Briones-Mendoza ,&nbsp;Luis A. Yañez-Guerra","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) are critical for neurotransmission, mediating responses to neurotransmitters and hormones, and influencing diverse physiological processes. This study identifies and classifies LGICs across Platyhelminthes, with a particular focus on parasitic neodermatans, which impact human and animal health. Using bioinformatics tools, we analyzed LGICs from 41 neodermatan species and expanded our investigation to encompass vertebrates, other invertebrates, and non-bilaterians to trace LGIC evolutionary pathways across Metazoa. We identified 2,269 putative LGICs within neodermatan species, which we classified into the cys-loop, ASIC/Deg/ENaC, iGluR, and P2X families. Our phylogenetic and clustering analyses reveal lineage-specific patterns with distinct evolutionary trajectories for each LGIC family in neodermatans compared to free-living platyhelminths and other taxa. Notably, the ASIC/Deg/ENaC family displayed the greatest degree of neodermatan-specific divergence, while cys-loop and P2X families were more conserved across taxa. To provide insight into their potential physiological roles, we analyzed LGIC expression patterns in <em>Schistosoma mansoni</em>, revealing widespread expression across neuronal and muscle cell types. The distribution of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in both neurons and muscles suggests a role in neuromuscular signalling, while the P2X receptor (Smp_333600) exhibited sex-specific expression, potentially indicating distinct functional roles in males and females. Additionally, several cys-loop acetylcholine and GABA receptors showed differential neuronal and muscle expression, highlighting their likely contributions to cholinergic and inhibitory neurotransmission. These findings underscore the relevance of LGICs in parasite physiology, particularly in neuromuscular and sensory processes, and suggest potential targets for antiparasitic interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"366 ","pages":"Article 114718"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143742767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urotensin II in GIFT Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): CDS cloning, tissue distribution, and in vitro regulation of male reproduction","authors":"Ying Bai,&nbsp;Xusheng Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaozheng Yu,&nbsp;Yingying Lian,&nbsp;Kingwai Lai,&nbsp;Xiaoxia Chen,&nbsp;Wensheng Li,&nbsp;Caiyun Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The caudal neurosecretory system (CNSS), present in all jawed vertebrates, except sarcopterygians, is considered a major site of urotensin II (UII) secretion. UII, a 12-amino acid peptide with a conserved hexapeptide ring structure, is also secreted by other tissues and found in sarcopterygians. UII has been associated with endocrine regulation, osmoregulation, and several pathophysiological conditions. In this study, CDS of GIFT Nile tilapia (<em>Oreochromis niloticus</em>) UII (tUII) and its receptors UT1 (tUT1) and UT2 (tUT2) were cloned from the CNSS and cerebellum, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that tUII, tUT1, and tUT2 shared a high homology with the ones of cichlid species, <em>Haplochromis burtoni</em> and <em>Neolamprologus brichardi</em>. Despite variations in precursor peptide sequences, the core sequence of the mature UII peptide remains highly conserved. tUII was predominantly expressed in the CNSS, while tUT1 and tUT2 were widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues of male and female tilapia. Functional studies revealed that synthetic tUII significantly activated luciferase activity in HEK293T cells transiently transfected with pNFAT-TA-Luc vectors and tUT1 or tUT2. In vitro studies in male GIFT Nile tilapia showed that tUII stimulated mRNA expression of <em>gnrh1</em>, <em>gnrh2</em>, and <em>gnrh3</em> in a dose-dependent manner by brain fragments, as well as <em>fshβ</em>, <em>lhβ</em>, and <em>gthα</em> by primary culture of pituitary cells. Furthermore, tUII promoted the expression of <em>gnrhr1</em>, <em>gnrhr2</em>, and <em>gnrhr3</em> in pituitary cells and stimulated mRNA levels of <em>fshr</em>, <em>lhr</em>, <em>arα</em>, <em>cyp11b2</em>, and <em>dmrt1</em> in testicular tissue. All these stimulatory effects of tUII on gene expression mentioned above were blocked by the non-selective UT antagonist urantide, suggesting for the first time that the actions of tUII were mediated via tUT1 or tUT2. In addition, tUII could significantly stimulate the secretion of testosterone by testis fragments. Taken together, these results suggest that tUII may play a role in reproductive regulation in male GIFT Nile tilapia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114720"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of stress on profiles of fecal glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites and antler status in marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus)","authors":"Laís Jaqueline de Souza ,&nbsp;Eveline dos Santos Zanetti ,&nbsp;José Maurício Barbanti Duarte","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The influence of glucocorticoids on reproductive hormones and antler cycles in cervids remains poorly understood, particularly in tropical species. Most Neotropical deer, like the marsh deer (<em>Blastocerus dichotomus</em>), lack a defined breeding season or a clear link between antler stage and reproductive status. Furthermore, conflicting data regarding stress impacts on androgen levels and antler development underscore the need for further research. We evaluated the effects of stress on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs), fecal androgen metabolites (FAMs) and antler status in captive marsh deer. Nineteen males underwent a quarantine after being transferred to a new breeding site, with antler status monitored weekly. Daily fecal samples from 17 individuals were analyzed using EIA to measure FAM and FGM concentrations. Among 12 animals with fully developed antlers, nearly 60 % (n = 7) experienced antler casting, an unusual synchrony for this species. A positive correlation was found between FAM and FGM levels (p &lt; 0.001; r = 0.40). We compared FAM and FGM levels between juveniles and adults, as well as among the antler categories. Adults exhibited 1.2-fold higher FGM levels than juveniles, with no differences in FAM levels. Males with hard antlers showed the highest FAM levels, while FGM levels were highest in males with velvet antlers. We hypothesize that intense stress negatively affected antler retention, leading to antler casting. Our findings suggest that stressful stimuli may trigger adrenal secretion of glucocorticoids and androgens, providing insights into the relationship between stress and antler dynamics in marsh deer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114719"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coordinated regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–somatotropic axis in Chinese sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) under temperature and salinity changes","authors":"Tianyu Zhou ,&nbsp;Juyan Li ,&nbsp;Junyu Chen ,&nbsp;Wei Lu ,&nbsp;Lingqun Zhang ,&nbsp;Jie Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Somatotropic (HPS) axis contains essential endocrine factors and plays diverse roles in the growth of teleost living in dynamic aquatic environments. In this study, 43 HPS axis genes were characterized in Chinese sea bass (<em>Lateolabrax maculatus</em>), the economically important marine fish highly adaptable to a wide range of temperatures and salinities. The phylogeny, conserved domain, molecular evolution and expression of <em>L. maculatus</em> HPS axis genes revealed their evolutionary conservation, with examples of functional divergence in duplication-originated genes (<em>sst1a/1b</em>, <em>igf1ra/1rb</em>). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) among <em>L. maculatus</em> tissues revealed strong co-expression of HPS genes (<em>sst</em>s, <em>igf1r</em>s, <em>igfbp</em>s) in brains than in livers and muscles, interacting with feeding (<em>cartpt</em>, <em>negr1</em>), metabolism (<em>grik3</em>, <em>drd4</em>), and growth (<em>apba1</em>) functional genes. Under temperature changes, <em>L. maculatus</em> HPS genes were more actively regulated in brains than in livers and muscles, with the hypothalamic and pituitary HPS genes mainly regulated in brains, whereas the peripheral HPS genes were regulated in livers and muscles. WGCNA revealed that HPS axis mainly interacted with stress and feeding activity in brains of <em>L. maculatus</em> under temperature stress, while it interacted with metabolism and growth activity in livers and muscles. Similar co-expression of HPS genes (<em>sstr</em>s, <em>igf1rb</em>s, <em>igfbp</em>s) were with feeding (<em>pik3r4</em>), metabolism (<em>mrps</em>, <em>ndufa12</em>) and growth (<em>sulf2</em>, <em>peli3</em>, <em>apod</em>) functions in brains, indicating that HPS axis could regulate growth through coordinated mediation of the food-intake and energy metabolism in <em>L. maculatus</em> under environmental stress. Our results provided comprehensive understanding about the <em>L. maculatus</em> HPS axis responding to environmental stimuli, which are crucial for the growth regulation and will provide important insights into fast-growing <em>L. maculatus</em> cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"366 ","pages":"Article 114717"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Light/darkness modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in the plains vizcacha, Lagostomus maximus, a seasonal breeding species","authors":"Santiago Elías Charif ,&nbsp;Pablo Ignacio Felipe Inserra ,&nbsp;Federico Martín Villarreal ,&nbsp;Alejandro Raúl Schmidt ,&nbsp;Santiago Andrés Cortasa ,&nbsp;Sofía Proietto ,&nbsp;María Clara Corso ,&nbsp;Micaela Inés Llanos Dumont ,&nbsp;Noelia Paula Di Giorgio ,&nbsp;Julia Halperin ,&nbsp;Alfredo Daniel Vitullo ,&nbsp;Verónica Berta Dorfman","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photoperiod is the main environmental signal that affects animal behavior and reproduction. Light stimulus is traduced by a neural pathway that modulates pineal gland melatonin release, which synchronizes physiologic functions with day duration, highly influencing seasonal reproduction. The plains vizcacha <em>(Lagostomus maximus)</em> is a Hystricomorph rodent with seasonal reproduction that inhabits the Neotropic in South America. The aim of this work was to elucidate the effect of light/darkness exposition on the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis in the female plains vizcacha. During 15 days, animals were subjected to different light/darkness regimens (Control group, CTL: 12:12 h dark:light; Darkness group, DARK: continuous darkness; Light group, LIGHT: continuous light). The melatoninergic system and reproductive hormones were evaluated. Plasma melatonin levels significantly decreased in DARK whereas both melatonin receptors (MT₁ and MT₂) expression significantly increased in the hypothalamus and decreased in the pituitary gland, and only MT₁ expression increased in the ovaries. Continuous light did not induce significant variations in melatonin levels related to CTL, however, MTs expression changed at pituitary and ovary levels. Strikingly, both light/darkness regimens increased reproductive hormone expression. While darkness induced hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) expression and estradiol (E₂) secretion, light increased LH and progesterone (P₄) secretion. In conclusion, light availability may impact the reproductive axis of plains vizcacha inducing hormonal changes, with an organ-specific response, and sustaining HPO axis activity, thus ensuring reproduction. Environmental light and darkness, their availability and exposure length, could synchronize the reproductive axis in seasonal breeding species like the plains vizcacha.</div><div>New &amp; Noteworthy: Hypothalamic, pituitary, and ovarian variations were induced by continuous light or darkness in the plains vizcacha. Plasma melatonin decreased by continuous darkness-inducing hypothalamic, pituitary, and ovarian melatonin receptors variations. Fifteen days of continuous darkness induced GnRH, LH, and estradiol secretion, while 15 days of continuous light induced LH and P₄ secretion. Environmental light/darkness would synchronize the reproductive axis in seasonal breeding species like the plains vizcacha.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"366 ","pages":"Article 114714"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and expression of nuclear receptor genes during nutritive phagocyte development in sea urchin Mesocentrotus nudus gonads","authors":"Kazuhiro Ura ,&nbsp;Shiori Tsue ,&nbsp;Takushi Sato ,&nbsp;Seishi Hagihara ,&nbsp;Mizuha Satoh ,&nbsp;Ichiro Higuchi ,&nbsp;Heng Wang ,&nbsp;Osamu Nishimiya ,&nbsp;Shigeho Ijiri ,&nbsp;Yasuaki Takagi","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114715","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114715","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The role of the endocrine system during synthesis of the nutrients (e.g., proteins, lipids, polysaccharides) in the gonad in sea urchins is imperfectly understood. We identify genes encoding nuclear receptors (NRs) involved in the development of nutritive phagocytes of the sea urchin <em>Mesocentrotus nudus</em>, and investigate their gene expression patterns during this time. RNA-seq analysis was performed on immature gonads using a next-generation sequencer. A total of 7,651,421 quality-controlled reads obtained using an Ion PGM sequencer were assembled into 175,092 contigs. BLASTn analysis identified 20 <em>NR</em> genes potentially involved in the development of nutritive phagocytes. Expression analyses revealed levels of four <em>NR</em> genes to increase during the development of nutritive phagocytes. These results indicate that these 20 <em>NR</em> genes have physiological functions in gonadal growth, and that 4 <em>NR</em> genes mainly control the expression of genes involved in the synthesis and metabolism of proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides during cellular proliferation in sea urchin gonads.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"366 ","pages":"Article 114715"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}