PUBLICATION
Targeted disruption of aromatase reveals dual functions of cyp19a1a during sex differentiation in zebrafish
- Authors
- Yin, Y., Tang, H., Liu, Y., Chen, Y., Li, G., Liu, X., Lin, H.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-170603-3
- Date
- 2017
- Source
- Endocrinology 158(9): 3030-3041 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Chen, Yu, Liu, Xiaochun
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins/physiology*
- Gonads/drug effects
- Gonads/embryology
- PubMed
- 28575219 Full text @ Endocrinology
Abstract
Aromatase (encoded by the cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b genes) plays a central role in sex differentiation in fish, but its precise roles during sex differentiation are still largely unknown. Here, we systematically generated cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b mutant lines as well as a cyp19a1a;cyp19a1b double mutant line in zebrafish using transcription activator-like effectors nucleases (TALENs). Our results showed that cyp19a1a mutants and cyp19a1a;cyp19a1b double mutants, but not cyp19a1b mutants, have impaired sex differentiation, and all cyp19a1a mutants and cyp19a1a;cyp19a1b double mutants are males. During sex differentiation, the ovary-like gonads were not observed and the male sex differentiation program was delayed in the cyp19a1a-null fish, and these phenotypes could be partially rescued by 17?-estradiol treatment. Gene expression analysis indicated that male and female sex differentiation-related genes were significantly decreased in the cyp19a1a mutant. Collectively, our results revealed dual functions of the cyp19a1a gene during sex differentiation: cyp19a1a is not only indispensable for female sex differentiation but also required for male sex differentiation.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping