Gonad Ontogeny and Sex Differentiation in a Poeciliid, Gambusia holbrooki: Transition from a Bi- to a Mono-Lobed Organ.

ABSTRACT: Despite their uniqueness, the ontogeny and differentiation of the single-lobed gonads in the poeciliids are very poorly understood. To address this, we employed both cellular and molecular approaches to systematically map the development of the testes and ovary in Gambusia holbrooki from pre-parturition to adulthood, encompassing well over 19 developmental stages. The results show that putative gonads form prior to the completion of somitogenesis in this species, a comparatively early occurrence among teleosts. Remarkably, the species recapitulates the typical bi-lobed origin of the gonads during early development that later undergoes steric metamorphosis to form a single-lobed organ. Thereafter, the germ cells undergo mitotic proliferation in a sex-dependent manner before the acqui

SUBMITTER: Razmi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10215382 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature