Special Issue "Natural and Environmental Sex Reversal in Aquatic Animals"

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2023 | Viewed by 684

Special Issue Editors

College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
Interests: reproduction; development; genetics; sex determination and differentiation; aquaculture
College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
Interests: sex determination and differentiation; development; reproduction
College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
Interests: sex determination and differentiation; reproduction; development; oogenesis; gynogenesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sex determination and differentiation is a basic scientific question that attracts great research attention from biologists. Fish is the largest and oldest group of vertebrates. The fish sex system includes gonochorism and hermaphroditism. The majority of the fish species are the former type. Fish exhibits sex plasticity as natural and environmental- factors induce sex reversal. Brain-pituitary-gonadal axis plays an important role in controlling fish sex reversal. The fish’s sex is determined by genetic factors, environmental, or a combination of both factors. The sex reversal of the gonochorism fish with a genetic sex determination system could be divided into two types, primary sex reversal starting before gonadal differentiation and secondary sex reversal happening after gonadal differentiation. Many genes, hormones, non-coding RNAs, and other factors participate in the sex reversal processes. In aquaculture, mono-sex culture could improve the culturing efficiency of some fish. Studies focused on the mechanisms of fish sex reversal could help develop sex control technology for aquaculture. This special issue aims to collect studies (original research articles, perspectives, reviews, and mini-reviews) that focus on sex reversal in wild and cultured fish. Also studies that focus on sex determination and differentiation of fish are also considered. We are looking forward to your new findings in this area.

Dr. Dong-Neng Jiang
Dr. Hong-Wei Yan
Dr. Li-Min Wu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • sex determination and differentiation
  • hormone
  • sex reversal
  • sex control
  • sex dimorphism

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Gene Expression and Epigenetic Modification of Aromatase during Sex Reversal and Gonadal Development in Blotched Snakehead (Channa maculata)
Fishes 2023, 8(3), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8030129 - 24 Feb 2023
Viewed by 452
Abstract
The cyp19a1 gene codes aromatase that converts androgen to estrogen, which plays a central role in early female differentiation and ovarian development in teleosts. For the blotched snakehead (Channa maculata), an important aquaculture fish that is susceptible to hormone-induced sex reversal, [...] Read more.
The cyp19a1 gene codes aromatase that converts androgen to estrogen, which plays a central role in early female differentiation and ovarian development in teleosts. For the blotched snakehead (Channa maculata), an important aquaculture fish that is susceptible to hormone-induced sex reversal, two aromatase genes were characterized in the present study, cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b. We analyzed gene expression and the epigenetic state of cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b in different adult tissues: the gonad and brain from normal XX females (XX-F), normal XY males (XY-M), sex-reversal females (XY-F) induced by estrogen, and YY super-males (YY-M), and gonads at different development stages. Cyp19a1a exhibited strong female-biased expression patterns in the ovary, and cyp19a1b dominantly expressed in the brain with no sex bias. Cyp19a1a’s expression pattern in the XY-F ovary was similar to that in the XX-F ovary, with a relatively high expression level, which was far higher than that in XY-M and YY-M testis. Meanwhile, CpG methylation levels of cyp19a1a promoter were lower in XX-F and XY-F ovaries compared with XY-M and YY-M testis. A significantly negative correlation between the CpG methylation levels and cyp19a1a expression was elucidated in XX-F, XY-M, XY-F, and YY-M gonads. Furthermore, the strong female-biased cyp19a1a expression was closely related to ovarian differentiation and maturation, and the overall methylation levels of cyp19a1a promoter were inversely correlated with cyp19a1a expression. There were no detectable sexually dimorphic differences in cyp19a1b expression and CpG methylation levels of cyp19a1b promoter in the brain and gonad between sexes in C. maculata, thus the function of cyp19a1b in C. maculata needs further research. Our research illustrates that cyp19a1a is closely related to estrogen production, ovary differentiation/maintenance, and sex reversal, and epigenetic modification plays a crucial part in maintaining the sexual dimorphic expression of cyp19a1a, ovarian differentiation and oogenesis in C. maculata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural and Environmental Sex Reversal in Aquatic Animals)
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