Divergent male androgen patterns in two sympatric species of Leptodactylus from subtropical South America

Leptodactylus ocellatus L. is sympatric with L. chaquensis Cei on the banks of the Parana river, yet does not show evident gametogenic discontinuity or cyclical variation of secondary sex characters compared with the striking and well-defined seasonal rhythm found in L. chaquensis. The endocrine mechanisms regulating the seasonal reproductive cycle in the male of both species in their sympatric area have been studied through assessment of plasma androgens, related to the morphological examination of testis. A sudden intense spermatogenic activity was recorded in the testes of L. chaquensis in spring months (September-October), but this ceased in late November, and was followed by a strikingly long summer rest. Conversely, few morphological changes in L. ocellatus were found, since the mating period is more irregular and extensive. The androgen plasma changes paralleled the morphological observations. The plasma androgens behaved differently in the two species, since in L. chaquensis the androgen peak values occurred at the end of the intense spermatogenic activity, accompanied by dramatic increase of testicular weight and spermiation, while in L. ocellatus, the highest androgen plasma levels, occurring in August, seemed to indicate a precocious reproductive activity in this species. These data are discussed, in view of the pivotal role played by androgens in regulating the discontinuous reproductive cycle of L. chaquensis.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Divergent male androgen patterns in two sympatric species of Leptodactylus from subtropical South America

Leptodactylus ocellatus L. is sympatric with L. chaquensis Cei on the banks of the Parana river, yet does not show evident gametogenic discontinuity or cyclical variation of secondary sex characters compared with the striking and well-defined seasonal rhythm found in L. chaquensis. The endocrine mechanisms regulating the seasonal reproductive cycle in the male of both species in their sympatric area have been studied through assessment of plasma androgens, related to the morphological examination of testis. A sudden intense spermatogenic activity was recorded in the testes of L. chaquensis in spring months (September-October), but this ceased in late November, and was followed by a strikingly long summer rest. Conversely, few morphological changes in L. ocellatus were found, since the mating period is more irregular and extensive. The androgen plasma changes paralleled the morphological observations. The plasma androgens behaved differently in the two species, since in L. chaquensis the androgen peak values occurred at the end of the intense spermatogenic activity, accompanied by dramatic increase of testicular weight and spermiation, while in L. ocellatus, the highest androgen plasma levels, occurring in August, seemed to indicate a precocious reproductive activity in this species. These data are discussed, in view of the pivotal role played by androgens in regulating the discontinuous reproductive cycle of L. chaquensis.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Divergent male androgen patterns in two sympatric species of Leptodactylus from subtropical South America

Leptodactylus ocellatus L. is sympatric with L. chaquensis Cei on the banks of the Parana river, yet does not show evident gametogenic discontinuity or cyclical variation of secondary sex characters compared with the striking and well-defined seasonal rhythm found in L. chaquensis. The endocrine mechanisms regulating the seasonal reproductive cycle in the male of both species in their sympatric area have been studied through assessment of plasma androgens, related to the morphological examination of testis. A sudden intense spermatogenic activity was recorded in the testes of L. chaquensis in spring months (September-October), but this ceased in late November, and was followed by a strikingly long summer rest. Conversely, few morphological changes in L. ocellatus were found, since the mating period is more irregular and extensive. The androgen plasma changes paralleled the morphological observations. The plasma androgens behaved differently in the two species, since in L. chaquensis the androgen peak values occurred at the end of the intense spermatogenic activity, accompanied by dramatic increase of testicular weight and spermiation, while in L. ocellatus, the highest androgen plasma levels, occurring in August, seemed to indicate a precocious reproductive activity in this species. These data are discussed, in view of the pivotal role played by androgens in regulating the discontinuous reproductive cycle of L. chaquensis.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Changes in Plasma Sex Steroids in Females of Two Sympatric Leptodactylus from Subtropical South America

Leptodactylus ocellatus is a well-known neotropical anuran in Argentina and Brazil, typically inhabiting marshes and streams, from sea level to 1000-1200 m in the Pampean mountains. Leptodactylus ocellatus is sympatric with L. chaquensis in Paraguay and on the Parana borders. Previous work (Cei, 1948,1949,1950,1980; Cei et al., 1955) with these two sibling species, L. ocellatus and L. chaquensis, revealed diversity in their reproductive cycles. Leptodactylus ocellatus exhibits less gametogenetic discontinuity and variety of secondary sex characters; the annual ovarian cycle of L. chaquensis, involves a fallwinter period of atresia for the residual mature oocytes from the former cycle, and at the same time a progressive auxocytic activity. The spring-summer period of mating and egg-laying of L. chaquensis is followed by resorption of retained oocytes. Moreover, in both sexes, a striking seasonal rhythm in the development of secondary sex characters has been found, together with dramatic growth of skeletal humeri and significant variation in serum calcium values (Cohen 1962a, b, 1963).Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Changes in Plasma Sex Steroids in Females of Two Sympatric Leptodactylus from Subtropical South America

Leptodactylus ocellatus is a well-known neotropical anuran in Argentina and Brazil, typically inhabiting marshes and streams, from sea level to 1000-1200 m in the Pampean mountains. Leptodactylus ocellatus is sympatric with L. chaquensis in Paraguay and on the Parana borders. Previous work (Cei, 1948,1949,1950,1980; Cei et al., 1955) with these two sibling species, L. ocellatus and L. chaquensis, revealed diversity in their reproductive cycles. Leptodactylus ocellatus exhibits less gametogenetic discontinuity and variety of secondary sex characters; the annual ovarian cycle of L. chaquensis, involves a fallwinter period of atresia for the residual mature oocytes from the former cycle, and at the same time a progressive auxocytic activity. The spring-summer period of mating and egg-laying of L. chaquensis is followed by resorption of retained oocytes. Moreover, in both sexes, a striking seasonal rhythm in the development of secondary sex characters has been found, together with dramatic growth of skeletal humeri and significant variation in serum calcium values (Cohen 1962a, b, 1963).Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Changes in Plasma Sex Steroids in Females of Two Sympatric Leptodactylus from Subtropical South America

Leptodactylus ocellatus is a well-known neotropical anuran in Argentina and Brazil, typically inhabiting marshes and streams, from sea level to 1000-1200 m in the Pampean mountains. Leptodactylus ocellatus is sympatric with L. chaquensis in Paraguay and on the Parana borders. Previous work (Cei, 1948,1949,1950,1980; Cei et al., 1955) with these two sibling species, L. ocellatus and L. chaquensis, revealed diversity in their reproductive cycles. Leptodactylus ocellatus exhibits less gametogenetic discontinuity and variety of secondary sex characters; the annual ovarian cycle of L. chaquensis, involves a fallwinter period of atresia for the residual mature oocytes from the former cycle, and at the same time a progressive auxocytic activity. The spring-summer period of mating and egg-laying of L. chaquensis is followed by resorption of retained oocytes. Moreover, in both sexes, a striking seasonal rhythm in the development of secondary sex characters has been found, together with dramatic growth of skeletal humeri and significant variation in serum calcium values (Cohen 1962a, b, 1963).Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A comparison of techniques for studying oogenesis in the European eel Anguilla anguilla

[EN] A multi-technique approach was used to study the changes occurring in European eel Anguilla anguilla ovaries during hormonally-induced vitellogenesis. Aside from classic techniques used to monitor the vitellogenic process, such as ovary histology, fat content analysis, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and vitellogenin enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a new technique, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy, was used to analyse A. anguilla ovaries. The results from the different techniques provided different ways of approaching the same process. Although it is considered a time consuming approach, of all the employed techniques, histology provided the most direct evidences about vitellogenesis. SDS-PAGE and ELISA were also useful for studying vitellogenesis, whereas fat analysis cannot be used for this purpose. The FT-IR analysis provided a representative IR spectrum for each ovarian stage (previtellogenic stage, early vitellogenic stage, mid-vitellogenic stage and late vitellogenic stage), demonstrating that it is a valid method able to illustrate the distribution of the oocytes within the ovary slices. The chemical maps obtained confirmed changes in lipid concentrations and revealed their distribution within the oocytes at different maturational stages. When the results and the accuracy of the FT-IR analysis were compared with those of the traditional techniques commonly used to establish the vitellogenic stage, it became evident that FT-IR is a useful and reliable tool, with many advantages, including the fact that it requires little biological material, the costs involved are low, analysis times are short and last but not least, the fact that it offers the possibility of simultaneously analysing various biocomponents of the same oocyte. (C) 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British IslesThis study was funded by the European Community's 7th Framework Programme under the Theme 2, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnology, grant agreement number 245257 (PRO-EEL) and the COST Office (COST Action FA1205: AQUAGAMETE). I.M. had a pre-doctoral grant from Generalitat ValencianaMazzeo ., I.; Giorgini, E.; Gioacchini, G.; Maradonna, F.; Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Baloche, S.; Dufour, S.... (2016). A comparison of techniques for studying oogenesis in the European eel Anguilla anguilla. Journal of Fish Biology. 89(4):2055-2069. doi:10.1111/jfb.13103S20552069894Asturiano, J. F., Perez, L., Garzon, D. L., Penaranda, D. S., Marco-Jimenez, F., Martinez-Llorens, S., … Jover, M. (2005). Effect of different methods for the induction of spermiation on semen quality in European eel. Aquaculture Research, 36(15), 1480-1487. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.2005.01366.xBradford, M. M. (1976). 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Analysis of Endocrine Disruption in Southern California Coastal Fish Using an Aquatic Multispecies Microarray

BackgroundEndocrine disruptors include plasticizers, pesticides, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. Turbot and other flatfish are used to characterize the presence of chemicals in the marine environment. Unfortunately, there are relatively few genes of turbot and other flatfish in GenBank, which limits the use of molecular tools such as microarrays and quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to study disruption of endocrine responses in sentinel fish captured by regulatory agencies.ObjectivesWe fabricated a multigene cross-species microarray as a diagnostic tool to screen the effects of environmental chemicals in fish, for which there is minimal genomic information. The array included genes that are involved in the actions of adrenal and sex steroids, thyroid hormone, and xenobiotic responses. This microarray will provide a sensitive tool for screening for the presence of chemicals with adverse effects on endocrine responses in coastal fish species.MethodsWe used a custom multispecies microarray to study gene expression in wild hornyhead turbot (Pleuronichthys verticalis) collected from polluted and clean coastal waters and in laboratory male zebrafish (Danio rerio) after exposure to estradiol and 4-nonylphenol. We measured gene-specific expression in turbot liver by qRT-PCR and correlated it to microarray data.ResultsMicroarray and qRT-PCR analyses of livers from turbot collected from polluted areas revealed altered gene expression profiles compared with those from nonaffected areas.ConclusionsThe agreement between the array data and qRT-PCR analyses validates this multispecies microarray. The microarray measurement of gene expression in zebrafish, which are phylogenetically distant from turbot, indicates that this multispecies microarray will be useful for measuring endocrine responses in other fish