Premium
Stage‐dependent and alternative splicing of sGnRH messengers in rainbow trout testis during spermatogenesis
Author(s) -
Uzbekova Svetlana,
Ferriúre François,
Guiguen Yann,
Bailhache Thierry,
Breton Bernard,
Lareyre JeanJacques
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.1000
Subject(s) - biology , medicine , endocrinology , autocrine signalling , paracrine signalling , spermatogenesis , messenger rna , gonadotropin , alternative splicing , receptor , sertoli cell , second messenger system , northern blot , hormone , gene , genetics
The gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) has long been considered as a neuropeptide involved in the control of the reproductive cycle. However, the presence of GnRH and its receptors in various tissues, including ovary and testis, suggests a role as autocrine/paracrine factor. In the present study, we report the expression of the sGnRH‐1 and sGnRH‐2 genes encoding salmon GnRH in rainbow trout testis throughout testicular development and spermatogenesis. We demonstrate that both sGnRH mRNA are expressed prior of sexual differentiation. In adult, northern blot analysis indicates that sGnRH‐2 transcripts are expressed in the testis at higher levels than sGnRH‐1 messengers. Moreover, we observed that the expression of sGnRH‐2, and not sGnRH‐1, messengers was stage‐dependent. sGnRH‐2 mRNA expression decreases at the onset and progressively rebounds at the end of spermatogenesis. In addition, we demonstrate that a complex stage‐dependent and differential splicing of the sGnRH‐2 messengers occurs throughout spermatogenesis. We isolated five transcripts corresponding to sGnRH‐2 messengers. Two of them may encode a novel and shortened GnRH‐associated peptide containing 18 residues instead of 46. Our data provide new insight in the putative role of GnRH and GAP peptides as autocrine/paracrine factors of spermatogenesis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 59:1–10, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.