PUBLICATION

Oocyte apoptosis during the transition from ovary-like tissue to testes during sex differentiation of juvenile zebrafish

Authors
Uchida, D., Yamashita, M., Kitano, T., and Iguchi, T.
ID
ZDB-PUB-020403-18
Date
2002
Source
The Journal of experimental biology   205(6): 711-718 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Yamashita, Michiaki
Keywords
sex; differentiation; oocyte; apoptosis; testis; ovary; juvenile hermaphroditism; zebrafish; Danio rerio
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Female
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Male
  • Oocytes/cytology*
  • Ovary/embryology*
  • Sex Differentiation*/genetics
  • Testis/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
PubMed
11914381 Full text @ J. Exp. Biol.
Abstract
Large numbers of apoptotic early diplotene oocytes were observed during the transition from ovary-like undifferentiated gonadal tissue to testes during sex differentiation in presumptive males of the zebrafish (Danio rerio). The percentage of terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic oocytes in the gonads of presumptive males was approximately eight- to 12-fold higher than in genetic all-females. By 29 days post-hatching, all oocytes had disappeared from the gonads of presumptive males. In these males, we also observed apoptotic somatic cells in the ovarian cavity between 23 and 35 days post-hatching. Therefore, the disappearance of oocytes and the decomposition of the ovarian cavity caused by apoptosis during sex differentiation were male-specific events. In genetic all-females, apoptosis in a proportion of early diplotene oocytes was found in the undifferentiated gonads at 15-19 days post-hatching, probably as a result of programmed oocyte loss during ovarian development. These findings suggest that oocyte apoptosis is the mechanism of testicular and ovarian differentiation in zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
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Mapping