Fish Reproduction: Molecular Mechanism and Extrinsic Factors Affecting the Gonad Development—Second Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Reproduction in fish plays an important role in maintaining populations for future generations, as is the case with other higher organisms. Gonads are the basis of reproduction, producing milt and ova, and upon fertilization, give rise to newborns. Fish show gonochorism, uniparental (gynogenesis and androgenesis), and hermaphroditic (protandrous, protogynous, etc.) modes of reproduction. Embryonic development involves a complex genetic cascade, which programs the events for gonadal differentiation and development. There are specific types of cells known as primordial germ cells (PGCs) from which gonads arise after migrating from the place of origin to the final site of maturation and form the cellular basis of reproduction. All the events, from the formation and growth of PGCs to the final migration, involve molecular factors at every step which work in a coordinated manner, and any deviation leads to either sex reversal or sterility. After sex differentiation, the growth of gonads is influenced by the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis which regulates gonad development, reproduction, and fertility by promoting or inhibiting the production of gonadal sex steroids and their function. In this issue, the submitted papers should be related to the molecular patterns of genes involved in fish reproduction, particularly gonad development. Furthermore, deviations in the expression of genes by intrinsic or extrinsic factors and their influence on final gonadal growth and maturation will be considered.

Dr. Irfan Ahmad Bhat
Dr. Rupam Sharma
Guest Editors

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