ZFIN Person: Levavi-Sivan, Berta

ZFIN ID: ZDB-PERS-080514-1

ZFIN ID: ZDB-PERS-080514-1

Levavi-Sivan, Berta

Email:	sivan@agri.huji.ac.il
URL:
Affiliation:	Fish Reproduction
Address:	Faculty of Agricultural Food and Environmental Quality Sciences Department of Animal Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, 76100 Israel
Country:	Israel
Phone:	972-8-9489988
Fax:	972-8-9465763
ORCID ID:

BIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

1979 - 1983 B.Sc. Tel-Aviv University, Life Science.
1983 - 1986 M.Sc. Tel Aviv University, Dept. of Zoology.
1986 - 1993 Ph.D. Tel-Aviv University, Dept. of Zoology.
1995 - 1999 Post-Doc. Weizmann Institute. Dept. of Immunology,
1999 – 2005 Lecturer, Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University
2005 – 2007 Senior lecturer, Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University
2007 – present Associate Professor, Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University

Research interests:

1. Illumination of the mechanisms underlying hypothalamic regulation in fish.
2. kisspeptin/kisspeptin receptor system in fish.
3. Production of recombinant gonadotropins using the expression system of Pichia pastoris.
4. Introduction of new fish species to Israeli aquaculture.
5. Sex inversion in fish.
6. Aquaculture in Third World Countries.

PUBLICATIONS

Tanaka, S., Zmora, N., Levavi-Sivan, B., Zohar, Y. (2022) Chemogenetic Depletion of Hypophysiotropic GnRH Neurons Does Not Affect Fertility in Mature Female Zebrafish. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 23(10)

Tanaka, S., Zmora, N., Levavi-Sivan, B., Zohar, Y. (2022) Vasoactive intestinal peptide indirectly elicits pituitary LH secretion independent of GnRH in female zebrafish. Endocrinology. 163(2):

Marvel, M., Levavi-Sivan, B., Wong, T.T., Zmora, N., Zohar, Y. (2021) Gnrh2 maintains reproduction in fasting zebrafish through dynamic neuronal projection changes and regulation of gonadotropin synthesis, oogenesis, and reproductive behaviors. Scientific Reports. 11:6657

Atre, I., Mizrahi, N., Hausken, K., Yom-Din, S., Hurvitz, A., Degani, G., Levavi-Sivan, B. (2020) Molecular characterization of kisspeptin receptors and gene expression analysis during oogenesis in the russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). General and comparative endocrinology. 302:113691

Hollander-Cohen, L., Golan, M., Aizen, J., Shpilman, M., Levavi-Sivan, B. (2017) Characterization of Carp Gonadotropins: Structure, Annual Profile, and Carp and Zebrafish Pituitary Topographic Organization. General and comparative endocrinology. 264:28-38

Spicer, O.S., Zmora, N., Wong, T.T., Golan, M., Levavi-Sivan, B., Gothilf, Y., Zohar, Y. (2017) The GNIH (Lpxrfa) system's regulation of reproduction in the brain-pituitary axis of the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Biology of reproduction. 96(5):1031-1042

Golan, M., Martin, A.O., Mollard, P., Levavi-Sivan, B. (2016) Anatomical and functional gonadotrope networks in the teleost pituitary. Scientific Reports. 6:23777

Golan, M., Zelinger, E., Zohar, Y., Levavi-Sivan, B. (2015) Architecture of GnRH-Gonadotrope-Vasculature Reveals a Dual Mode of Gonadotropin Regulation in Fish. Endocrinology. 156(11):4163-73

Golan, M., Biran, J., Levavi-Sivan, B. (2014) A novel model for development, organization, and function of gonadotropes in fish pituitary. Frontiers in endocrinology. 5:182

Zmora, N., Stubblefield, J., Golan, M., Servili, A., Levavi-Sivan, B., and Zohar, Y. (2014) The Medio-Basal Hypothalamus as a Dynamic and Plastic Reproduction-Related Kisspeptin-gnrh-Pituitary Center in Fish. Endocrinology. 155(5):1874-86

Biran, J., Palevitch, O., Ben-Dor, S., and Levavi-Sivan, B. (2012) Neurokinin Bs and neurokinin B receptors in zebrafish-potential role in controlling fish reproduction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109(26):10269-10274

Levi, L., Ziv, T., Admon, A., Levavi-Sivan, B., and Lubzens, E. (2012) Insight into molecular pathways of retinal metabolism, associated with vitellogenesis in zebrafish. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism. 302(6):E626-644

Levavi-Sivan, B., Bogerd, J., Mañanós, E.L., Gómez, A., and Lareyre, J.J. (2010) Perspectives on fish gonadotropins and their receptors. General and comparative endocrinology. 165(3):412-437

Levi, L., Pekarski, I., Gutman, E., Fortina, P., Hyslop, T., Biran, J., Levavi-Sivan, B., and Lubzens, E. (2009) Revealing genes associated with vitellogenesis in the liver of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) by transcriptome profiling. BMC Genomics. 10:141

Biran, J., Ben-Dor, S., and Levavi-Sivan, B. (2008) Molecular Identification and Functional Characterization of the Kisspeptin/Kisspeptin Receptor System in Lower Vertebrates. Biology of reproduction. 79(4):776-786

NON-ZEBRAFISH PUBLICATIONS
1. Jackson, K., Hurvitz A., Yom Din S., Goldberg D., Pearlson O., Degani G., & Levavi-Sivan, B. 2006. Anatomical, hormonal and histological descriptions of captive Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) with intersex gonads. Gen Comp Endocrinol 148, 359-367.

2. Levavi-Sivan, B., Biran J. & Fireman E., 2006. Sex steroids are involved in the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and dopamine D2 receptors in female tilapia pituitary. Biol Reprod. 75, 642–650.

3. Nocillado JN, Elizur A. Avitan A. Carrick F. & Levavi-Sivan B. 2007. Cytochrome P450 aromatase in grey mullet: cDNA and promoter isolation and brain, pituitary and ovarian expression during puberty. Mol Cel Endocrinol 263, 65-78.

4. Nocillado, JN, Levavi-Sivan, B. Carrick, F. & Elizur A. 2007. Temporal expression of G-protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54), gonadotropin-releasing hormones (gnrh), and dopamine receptor D2 (drd2) in pubertal female grey mullet, Mugil cephalus. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 150, 278-287..

5. Aizen J. Kasuto H. Golan M. Zakay H. & Levavi-Sivan B. 2007. Tilapia follicle stimulating hormone (FSH): Immunochemistry, stimulation by GnRH and Effect of biologically active recombinant FSH on steroid secretion. Biol Reprod. 76, 692–700.

6. Yom Din, S. Hurvitz, A. Goldberg, D. Jackson, K. Levavi-Sivan B & Degani G. 2007. Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 expression in the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), during the first period of growth. J Endocrinol Invest, 31: 201-10.

7. Perdikaris, C., Levavi-Sivan, B., Chantzaropoulos, A., Nathanailides, C., Gouva E., & Paschos E. 2007. Pituitary collection from gibel carp Carassius gibelio (Bloch 1783) in Lake Pamvotis (NW Greece) and prospects for future use in carp reproduction. Isr J Aquaculture, 59, 162-167.

8. Avitan A, Zelinger E & Levavi-Sivan B. 2007. Homologous desensitization and visualization of the tilapia GnRH type 3 receptor. Gen Comp Endocrinol, 153, 182-188.

9. Aizen J, Kasuto H. & Levavi-Sivan B. 2007. Development of specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for determining LH and FSH levels in tilapia, using recombinant gonadotropins. Gen Comp Endocrinol, 153, 323-332.

10. Hurvitz A., Jackson K., Degani G. & Levavi-Sivan B. 2007. Use of endoscopy for gender and ovarian-stage determinations in Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) grown in aquaculture conditions. Aquaculture, 270, 158-166.

11. Levy A. Pokroy B. Levavi-Sivan B Leiserowitz L Weiner S & Addadi L 2008. Biogenic guanine crystals from the skin of fish are designed to enhance light reflectance. Cryst. Growth Design.8, 507-511

12. Hurvitz, A., Jackson, K., Yom-Din, S., Degani, G., & Levavi-Sivan, B. 2008. Sexual development in Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) grown in aquaculture. CYBIUM, International Journal of Ichthyology. In press.

13. Rutaisire, J., Levavi-Sivan, B., Nytaia, E., Booth, A. 2008. Juvenile intersexuality in the cyprinid fish Labeo victorianus. CYBIUM, International Journal of Ichthyology. In press.

14. Levavi-Sivan, B., Golan, M., Aizen. J., & Elizur, A. 2008. Fish recombinant gonadotropins. CYBIUM, International Journal of Ichthyology. In press.

15. Yacobovitz M, Solomon G, Gusakovsky E.E, Levavi-Sivan B. & Gertler A. 2008 Expression, refolding, purification and characterization of pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) leptin. Gen Comp Endocrinol 156, 83–90.

16. Cohen A, Shmoish M, Levi L, Cheruti U, Levavi-Sivan B, Lubzens E. 2008. Alterations in micro-ribonucleic acid expression profiles reveal a novel pathway for estrogen regulation. Endocrinology. 149, 1687-1696.

17. Levi L., Levavi-Sivan B. Lubzens E. 2008. Expression of genes associated with retinoid metabolism in the trout ovarian follicle. Biol Reprod. In press.