生物学杂志

Journal of Biology ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 69-.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-1736.2025.03.069

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Histological observation of early gonadal development and evaluation of hormone induced sex reversal in Acrossocheilus fasciatus

LI Jiaying1, WEI Qianyan1, WANG Yongxiang 2, TU Xiaoxian2, ZHANG Yu2,LI Jiale1,3, REN Jianfeng1,3   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai
    Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; 2. Huangshan Fisheries Station of Anhui Province, Huangshan 245099,
    China; 3. Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai
    Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
  • Online:2025-06-18 Published:2025-06-16

PDF (PC)

5

Abstract: To compare the difference between the male and female individuals of Acrossocheilus fasciatus, the variations of growth traits (body length and body weight) were investigated among a total of 199 16-month-old individuals, and the early gonadal development and the exogenous hormone-induced gonad in A.fasciatus were studied using histological sectioning techniques and the sex differentiation-related genes were quantified. The results showed that there was obvious sexual dimorphism in growth traits, and the average body length of 16-months-old females increased by about 9.6% compared with that of the males, and the average body mass of the females was 33.7% higher than that of the males. The results of histological sections showed that primordial gonad was initially observed at 19 dph and it differentiated into ovary at 48 dph. However, the differentiated testis appeared later than 55 dph. The sex reversal induced by sex hormones with two different concentration (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) lasting for 60 days was performed on 7 dph larvae of A.fasciatus. The results showed that the percentage of the males in the methyltestasterone (MT)-100 group (100 mg/kg) was 82%, which was higher than that in the MT-50 group (50 mg/kg), and the estradiol (E2) treatment group had 100% of the females at both concentrations. In addition, the expression level of the male differentiation-related genes dmrt1 and amh was up-regulated and the expression level of the female differentiation-related genes cyp19a1a and foxl2 was down-regulated in the MT group. While the expression level of cyp19a1a and foxl2 was up-regulated and the expression of dmrt1 and amh was down-regulated in the E2 group. In this study, the time point of ovarian differentiation was identified and a sex reversal program was also established in A.fasciatus, which would provide information and reference data for further research on the mechanism of sex differentiation as well as unisexual breeding in A.fasciatus.

Key words: Acrossocheilus fasciatus, sexual dimorphism, gonadal development, sex hormones, sex reversal

CLC Number: