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The Journals of Gerontology. Series A,... Mar 2023Aging is a complex process in which the structure and function of various tissues and organs gradually decline with age, and ovarian aging affects the reproductive...
Aging is a complex process in which the structure and function of various tissues and organs gradually decline with age, and ovarian aging affects the reproductive capacity of females and induces age-related diseases. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol compound, extends the life span and has a protective effect on the ovaries of vertebrates. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of resveratrol delaying ovarian aging are unclear. In this study, using an annual fish Nothobranchius guentheri, we demonstrated that senescence-associated-beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity and lipofuscin accumulation increased with age in the ovaries, and resveratrol reversed this phenomenon. Resveratrol increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and the oocyte proportions of the primary growth stage, cortical alveolus stage and vitellogenesis stage, and decreased the number of atretic follicles in the ovaries of 6-, 9-, and 12-month-old fish. Moreover, the expression of SIRT1 and NRF2 decreased and the levels of NF-κB, pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-8 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers GRP78 and CHOP increased with aging, while resveratrol up-regulated SIRT1 and NRF2 expression and down-regulated NF-κB, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, GRP78, and CHOP levels in the ovaries of 6- and 9-month-old fish. In HEK293T cells, knockdown SIRT1 decreased NRF2 and increased NF-κB p65, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α), and ER stress marker GRP78 expression markedly. Silencing SIRT1 and then treating the cells with resveratrol significantly reversed the phenomenon. Collectively, resveratrol might activate SIRT1/NRF2 to reduce inflammation and ER stress, and finally delay ovarian aging in a short-lived fish. This study highlights the protective effect and mechanism of resveratrol on ovarian aging.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Aging; Cytokines; Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; HEK293 Cells; Inflammation; Interleukin-8; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; NF-kappa B; Ovary; Resveratrol; Sirtuin 1; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
PubMed: 36630695
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad009 -
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology Jun 2024The endocrine system plays a pivotal role in shaping the mechanisms that ensure successful reproduction. With over a million known insect species, understanding the... (Review)
Review
The endocrine system plays a pivotal role in shaping the mechanisms that ensure successful reproduction. With over a million known insect species, understanding the endocrine control of reproduction has become increasingly complex. Some of the key players include the classic insect lipid hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, and neuropeptides such as insulin-like peptides (ILPs). Individual endocrine factors not only modulate their own target tissue but also play crucial roles in crosstalk among themselves, ensuring successful vitellogenesis and oogenesis. Recent advances in omics, gene silencing, and genome editing approaches have accelerated research, offering both fundamental insights and practical applications for studying in-depth endocrine signaling pathways. This review provides an updated and integrated view of endocrine factors modulating vitellogenesis and oogenesis in insect females.
Topics: Animals; Female; Vitellogenesis; Oogenesis; Insecta; Juvenile Hormones; Endocrine System
PubMed: 38494046
DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112211 -
General and Comparative Endocrinology Jul 2021The juvenile hormone (JH) plays a crucial role in arthropod physiological processes, e.g., the regulation of metamorphosis, development, and reproduction (the...
The juvenile hormone (JH) plays a crucial role in arthropod physiological processes, e.g., the regulation of metamorphosis, development, and reproduction (the vitellogenesis, the development of gonads, egg production). Still, data about this sesquiterpenoid hormone in spiders (Araneae) are rudimentary and equivocal. The presence of the JH or its precursors (e.g. methyl farnesoate) is not confirmed in spiders. The site of synthesis of its is still undetermined. No receptors of the JH are identified in spiders and thus, the molecular mechanism of action of this group of hormones is still unknown. Here we show by using the phylogenetic analysis and qPCR method the presence of the transcript of the enzyme catalyzing the last phase of the JH biosynthesis pathway (epox CYP15A1), the JH receptor (Met), and a possible candidate to the methyl farnesoate receptor (USP) in the various tissues and stages of ontogenesis in both sexes of spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Our results indicate that the juvenile hormone and/or methyl farnesoate presence is possible in the species of spider P. tepidariorum. The presence of the Ptepox CYP15A1 gene suggests that the main site of the juvenile hormone synthesis can be the integument and not the Schneider organ 2. It also seems that the juvenile hormone and/or methyl farnesoate can be hormones with biological activity due to the presence of the transcript of insect and crustacean JH/MG receptor - Met. The Ptepox CYP15A1, PtMet, and Ptusp expression are sex-, tissue-and time-specific. This study is the first report about the presence of the Ptepox CYP15A1 and PtMet transcripts in the Arachnida, which may indicate the presence of the juvenile hormone and/or methyl farnesoate in spiders.
Topics: Animals; Female; Juvenile Hormones; Male; Metamorphosis, Biological; Phylogeny; Spiders; Vitellogenesis
PubMed: 33862048
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113781 -
PeerJ 2022Sexual growth dimorphism is a common phenomenon in teleost fish and has led to many reproductive strategies. Growth- and sex-related gene research in teleost fish would...
Sexual growth dimorphism is a common phenomenon in teleost fish and has led to many reproductive strategies. Growth- and sex-related gene research in teleost fish would broaden our understanding of the process. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of shortfin scad was performed for the first time, and a high-quality reference transcriptome was constructed. After identification and assembly, a total of 58,475 nonredundant unigenes were obtained with an N50 length of 2,266 bp, and 28,174 unigenes were successfully annotated with multiple public databases. BUSCO analysis determined a level of 92.9% completeness for the assembled transcriptome. Gene expression analysis revealed 2,345 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the female and male , 1,150 of which were female-biased DEGs, and 1,195 unigenes were male-biased DEGs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that the DEGs were mainly involved in biological processes including protein synthesis, growth, rhythmic processes, immune defense, and vitellogenesis. Then, we identified many growth- and sex-related genes, including , , EF-hand family genes, , and . In addition, a total of 19,573 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were screened and identified from the transcriptome sequences. The results of this study can provide valuable information on growth- and sex-related genes and facilitate further exploration of the molecular mechanism of sexual growth dimorphism.
Topics: Animals; Female; Male; Transcriptome; Molecular Sequence Annotation; Gene Expression Profiling; Fishes
PubMed: 36389430
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14342 -
General and Comparative Endocrinology Sep 2023The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a species for which captive propagation and reintroduction programs are well established; however, little is...
The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a species for which captive propagation and reintroduction programs are well established; however, little is known about its reproductive behavior and physiology. In this study, we measured monthly plasma sex steroid hormone concentrations of androgen (T + DHT) estradiol-17B (E2), and progesterone (P4), and used ultrasonography to monitor annual reproductive cycles of a captive population of alligator snapping turtles that is maintained under semi-natural conditions in southeastern Oklahoma. Concurrently, we used automated radio telemetry to measure the relative activity levels of male and female alligator snapping turtles and examine these activity patterns in the context of their reproductive cycles. We also measured monthly concentrations of the glucocorticoid (GC) corticosterone (CORT). Seasonal variation was only detected for T in males, but was observed for T, E2, and P4 in females. Vitellogenesis began in August and ended in April and coincided with elevated E2. Ovulation took place 10-29 April and the nesting period lasted from 11 May - 3 June. Males exhibited greater relative activity levels than females in the fall, winter, and early spring, which coincided with the period when mature sperm would be available for mating. Females were more active than males during the peri-nesting period in the spring. Seasonal changes in CORT were detected and did not differ between males and females. CORT concentrations were elevated in the late spring and summer, coincident with the foraging season, and depressed in the fall, and winter, and at their nadir in the early spring.
Topics: Animals; Male; Female; Turtles; Alligators and Crocodiles; Semen; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Progesterone; Corticosterone; Reproduction; Seasons
PubMed: 37244410
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114310 -
General and Comparative Endocrinology Jan 2023The vitellogenin is composed by polypeptides that are precursors of egg yolk proteins that provides embryo and larvae nutrition. The mRNA encoding for vitellogenin Ab...
The vitellogenin is composed by polypeptides that are precursors of egg yolk proteins that provides embryo and larvae nutrition. The mRNA encoding for vitellogenin Ab (Vtg-Ab; 4,536 bp long and 1,512 amino acids) were obtained by RNA-Seq library sequencing of pirarucu gonads. The Vtg-Ab sequences had high homology with Vtgs of other three teleosts species of the order Osteoglossiformes. The transcript of ovarian Vtg was identified based on structural criteria, and so we classify the Vtg of pirarucu as Vtg-Ab due to the truncated or shortened phosvitin (N-terminal end) and phosvitinless domain (C-terminal end). The Vtg-Ab of pirarucu present two major deletions with 133 amino acids in the Lipovitellin I domain and 89 amino acids in the truncated or shortened Phosvitin domain, both located in the N-terminal end region. The three-dimensional (3-D) structure Vtg-Ab protein shows the presence of a typical 4α-helices bundle protein that runs in anti-parallel. In general, the characterization of Vtg-Ab may be the useful elucidation of the hormonal regulation of vitellogenesis and improve the production of pirarucu for broodstock management in aquaculture and preparation of Vtg antibody production (species-specific) for sex identification.
Topics: Animals; Vitellogenins; Phosvitin; Amino Acid Sequence; Fishes; Amino Acids
PubMed: 36244430
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114143 -
Frontiers in Physiology 2019Vitellogenins are a family of yolk proteins that are by far the most abundant among oviparous animals. In the model nematode , the 6 vitellogenins are among the most... (Review)
Review
Vitellogenins are a family of yolk proteins that are by far the most abundant among oviparous animals. In the model nematode , the 6 vitellogenins are among the most highly expressed genes in the adult hermaphrodite intestine, which produces copious yolk to provision eggs. In this article we review what is known about the vitellogenin genes and proteins in , in comparison with vitellogenins in other taxa. We argue that the primary purpose of abundant vitellogenesis in is to support post-embryonic development and fertility, rather than embryogenesis, especially in harsh environments. Increasing vitellogenin provisioning underlies several post-embryonic phenotypic alterations associated with advancing maternal age, demonstrating that vitellogenins can act as an intergenerational signal mediating the influence of parental physiology on progeny. We also review what is known about vitellogenin regulation - how tissue-, sex- and stage-specificity of expression is achieved, how vitellogenins are regulated by major signaling pathways, how vitellogenin expression is affected by extra-intestinal tissues and how environmental experience affects vitellogenesis. Lastly, we speculate whether vitellogenins may play other roles in worm physiology.
PubMed: 31551797
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01067 -
The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and... Jul 2023Estrogen receptors (ERs) were known as estrogen-activated transcription factors and function as major reproduction regulators in vertebrates. The presence of er genes...
Estrogen receptors (ERs) were known as estrogen-activated transcription factors and function as major reproduction regulators in vertebrates. The presence of er genes had been reported in Molluscan cephalopods and gastropods. However, they were considered as constitutive activators with unknown biological functions since reporter assays for these ERs did not show a specific response to estrogens. In this study, we tried characterization of ER orthologues from the Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, in which estrogens had been proven to be produced in the gonads and involved in the spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis. Identified ER and estrogen related receptor (ERR) of Yesso scallops, designated as py-ER and py-ERR, conserved specific domain structures for a nuclear receptor. Their DNA binding domains showed high similarities to those of vertebrate ER orthologues, while ligand binding domains had low similarities with them. Both the py-er and py-err expression levels decreased in the ovary at the mature stage while py-vitellogenin expression increased in the ovary by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Also, the py-er and py-err showed higher expressions in the testis than ovary during the developing and mature period, suggesting both genes might function in the spermatogenesis and testis development. The py-ER showed binding affinities to vertebrate estradiol-17β (E). However, the intensity was weaker than the vertebrate ER, indicating scallops might exist endogenous estrogens with a different structure. On the other hand, the binding property of py-ERR to E was not confirmed in this assay, speculating that py-ERR was a constitutive activator as other vertebrate ERRs. Further, the py-er was localized in the spermatogonia in the testis and in the auxiliary cells in the ovary by in situ hybridization, indicating its potential roles in promoting spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that py-ER was an authentic E receptor in the Yesso scallop and might have functions for the spermatogonia proliferation and vitellogenesis, while py-ERR was involved in the reproduction by undiscovered manners.
Topics: Male; Animals; Female; Receptors, Estrogen; Gonads; Pectinidae; Estrogens
PubMed: 36990165
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2023.106302 -
Cellular Signalling Jan 2023Ovarian function in teleosts, like in other vertebrates, is regulated by two distinct gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).... (Review)
Review
Ovarian function in teleosts, like in other vertebrates, is regulated by two distinct gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Gonadotropin effects are mediated by membrane-bound G protein-coupled receptors localized on the surface of follicle cells. Gonadotropin receptor activation results in increased intracellular cAMP, the most important second cellular signaling molecule. FSH stimulation induces the production of 17β-estradiol in the cells of growing follicles to promote vitellogenesis in oocytes. In contrast, in response to LH, fully grown post-vitellogenic follicles gain the ability to synthesize maturation-inducing steroids, which induce meiotic resumption and ovulation. All these events were induced downstream of cAMP. In this review, we summarize studies addressing the role of the cAMP pathway in gonadotropin-induced processes in teleost ovarian follicles. Furthermore, we discuss future problems concerning cAMP signaling in relation to teleost ovarian function and the differences and similarities in the gonadotropin-induced cAMP signaling pathways between mammals and teleosts.
Topics: Female; Animals; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Luteinizing Hormone; Ovarian Follicle; Ovulation; Gonadotropins; Mammals
PubMed: 36273754
DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110499 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020Early studies recognizing the importance of the decapod eyestalk in the endocrine regulation of crustacean physiology-molting, metabolism, reproduction, osmotic balance,... (Review)
Review
Early studies recognizing the importance of the decapod eyestalk in the endocrine regulation of crustacean physiology-molting, metabolism, reproduction, osmotic balance, etc.-helped found the field of crustacean endocrinology. Characterization of putative factors in the eyestalk using distinct functional bioassays ultimately led to the discovery of a group of structurally related and functionally diverse neuropeptides, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH), molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH), gonad-inhibiting hormone (GIH) or vitellogenesis-inhibiting hormone (VIH), and mandibular organ-inhibiting hormone (MOIH). These peptides, along with the first insect member (ion transport peptide, ITP), constitute the original arthropod members of the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) superfamily. The presence of genes encoding the CHH-superfamily peptides across representative ecdysozoan taxa has been established. The objective of this review is to, aside from providing a general framework, highlight the progress made during the past decade or so. The progress includes the widespread identification of the CHH-superfamily peptides, in particular in non-crustaceans, which has reshaped the phylogenetic profile of the superfamily. Novel functions have been attributed to some of the newly identified members, providing exceptional opportunities for understanding the structure-function relationships of these peptides. Functional studies are challenging, especially for the peptides of crustacean and insect species, where they are widely expressed in various tissues and usually pleiotropic. Progress has been made in deciphering the roles of CHH, ITP, and their alternatively spliced counterparts (CHH-L, ITP-L) in the regulation of metabolism and ionic/osmotic hemostasis under (eco)physiological, developmental, or pathological contexts, and of MIH in the stimulation of ovarian maturation, which implicates it as a regulator for coordinating growth (molt) and reproduction. In addition, experimental elucidation of the steric structure and structure-function relationships have given better understanding of the structural basis of the functional diversification and overlapping among these peptides. Finally, an important finding was the first-ever identification of the receptors for this superfamily of peptides, specifically the receptors for ITPs of the silkworm, which will surely give great impetus to the functional study of these peptides for years to come. Studies regarding recent progress are presented and synthesized, and prospective developments remarked upon.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Proteins; Crustacea; Invertebrate Hormones; Multigene Family; Nerve Tissue Proteins
PubMed: 33117290
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.578958