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Quantitative Analysis of fushi tarazu Factor 1 Homolog Messenger Ribonucleic Acids in the Pituitary of Salmon at Different Prespawning Stages¹

^a Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan ^b Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan

ABSTRACT

Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) or Ad4BP is a member of the fushi tarazu factor 1 (FTZ-F1) family and an orphan nuclear receptor that plays an important role in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis and the adrenal cortex. Although its critical role in the differentiation of adrenals, gonads, and pituitary gonadotropes has been well demonstrated, regulatory function of SF-1 during sexual maturation is yet to be examined. To investigate the potential role of SF-1 in sexual maturation, expression of two salmon FTZ-F1 homolog genes, sFF1-I and sFF1-II, was examined in the pituitaries of chum and sockeye salmons, using specific and sensitive RNase protection assays. Only sFF1-I mRNA was found in the pituitary and other organs, such as the ovary, spleen, liver, brain, and skeletal muscle. In chum salmon during upstream migration from the bay to the hatchery, the level of sFF1-I mRNA in the male fish was increased on the midway in the river, where the levels of gonadotropin - and IIß-subunit mRNAs were increased. In maturing sockeye salmon, the expression of the sFF1-I gene was elevated in the mature male fish, but the administration of GnRH analog did not further enhance the expression. These results indicate that sFF1-I gene expression in the pituitary is upregulated in maturing salmon, and this upregulation may not depend on GnRH.

FOOTNOTES

First decision: 20 May 2000.

¹ This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid from the Fisheries Agency and Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan. The nucleotide sequences of csFF1-I, csFF1-II, ssFF1-I, and ssFF1-II reported in this paper have been deposited in the GenBank database with the respective accession numbers AF242223, AF242224, AF242225, and AF242226.

² Correspondence. FAX: 81 11 706 4448; hando{at}sci.hokudai.ac.jp

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