An evolutionary and functional analysis of FoxL2 in Rainbow trout gonad differentiation
2004
Baron, Daniel | Cocquet, Julie | Xia, Xuhua | Fellous, Marc | Guiguen, Yann | Veitia, Reiner A. | Station commune de Recherches en Ichtyophysiologie, Biodiversité et Environnement (SCRIBE) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) | Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) | University of Ottawa [Ottawa]
International audience
显示更多 [+] 显示较少 [-]英语. FOXL2 is a forkhead transcription factor involved in ovarian development and function. Here, we have studied the evolution and pattern of expression of the FOXL2 gene and its paralogs in fish. We found well conserved FoxL2 sequences (FoxL2a) and divergent genes, whose forkhead domains belonged to the class L2 and were shown to be paralogs of the FoxL2a sequences (named FoxL2b). In the rainbow trout, FoxL2a and FoxL2b were specifically expressed in the ovary, but displayed different temporal patterns of expression. FoxL2a expression correlated with the level of aromatase, the key enzyme in estrogen production, and an estrogen treatment used to feminize genetically male individuals elicited the up-regulation of both paralogs. Conversely, androgens or an aromatase inhibitor down-regulated FoxL2a and FoxL2b in females. We speculate that there is a direct link between estrogens and FoxL2 expression in fish, at least during the period where the identity of the gonad is sensitive to hormonal treatments.
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