Cortisol-induced masculinization: does thermal stress affect gonadal fate in pejerrey, a teleost fish with temperature-dependent sex determination?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gonadal fate in many reptiles, fish, and amphibians is modulated by the temperature experienced during a critical period early in life (temperature-dependent sex determination; TSD). Several molecular processes involved in TSD have been described but how the animals "sense" environmental temperature remains unknown. We examined whether the stress-related hormone cortisol mediates between temperature and sex differentiation of pejerrey, a gonochoristic teleost fish with marked TSD, and the possibility that it involves glucocorticoid receptor- and/or steroid biosynthesis-modulation.

Methodology/principal findings

Larvae maintained during the period of gonadal sex differentiation at a masculinizing temperature (29 degrees C; 100% males) consistently had higher cortis

SUBMITTER: Hattori RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2717333 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature