Multifactorial regulation of reproduction in fish

我研究的长期目标是了解垂体促性腺激素与局部衍生激素和蛋白质生长因子调节鱼类卵巢功能的相互作用机制。目的是表征卵巢信号分子和介导甾体形成、卵母细胞最终成熟和排卵的转导途径，并在整个动物水平上整合这些反应对产卵成功的影响。具体来说，我们正在通过研究促性腺激素、性类固醇、前列腺素和胰岛素样生长因子对卵泡细胞成熟能力获得、卵母细胞成熟、卵巢卵泡水化和排卵的相互作用，来研究排卵前期卵巢发育的激素调节。我们也在研究雄性斑马鱼的信息素信号的本质，这些信息素信号有助于雌性斑马鱼的内分泌变化和产卵成功。我们的研究探讨了卵巢激素、它们的受体和基因产物在生殖成功方面对产卵的影响。本研究涉及卵巢卵泡体外培养和体内研究，以表征卵巢卵泡成熟和排卵的激素调节。我们常规使用RIA和EIA方法量化卵巢类固醇激素和PG水平，RT-qPCR和原位杂交表征基因表达，免疫组织化学方法表征卵巢蛋白激素和受体分布。我们将使用药理学方法和反义morpholino寡核苷酸进行功能丧失研究，以研究类固醇激素、pg、肽激素及其受体在发育能力和卵泡存活方面所起的作用。这些知识是理解生殖适应性的基础，并为研究内分泌干扰化合物和毒物影响野生和养殖鱼类卵巢生理的机制提供了方法。

The long-term objective of my research is to understand the interactive mechanisms by which pituitary gonadotropins and locally derived hormones and protein growth factors regulate ovarian function in fish. The goal is to characterize ovarian signaling molecules and transduction pathways that mediate steroidogenesis, oocyte final maturation and ovulation and to integrate these responses at the whole animal level in terms of effects on spawning success. Specifically, we are studying the hormonal regulation of ovarian development in the preovulatory period through investigations of the interactive effects of gonadotropins, sex steroids, prostaglandins and insulin-like growth factors on the acquisition of follicle cell maturational competence, oocyte maturation, ovarian follicle hydration and ovulation. We are also studying the nature of the pheromonal signals from male zebrafish that contribute to endocrine changes and spawning success in the female. Our studies investigate the expression of ovarian hormones, their receptors and gene products through to reproductive success in terms of effects on spawning. This research involves both in vitro cultures of ovarian follicles and in vivo studies to characterize the hormonal regulation of the maturation and ovulation of ovarian follicles. We routinely use RIA and EIA methods to quantify ovarian steroid hormone and PG levels, RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization to characterize gene expression and immunohistochemical approaches to characterize ovarian protein hormone and receptor distribution. We will use pharmacological approaches and antisense morpholino oligonucleotides for loss of function studies to investigate the roles played by steroid hormones, PGs, peptide hormones and their receptors in relation to developmental competency and follicle survival. This knowledge is fundamental to understanding reproductive fitness and provides methods that enable examination of the mechanisms by which endocrine disrupting compounds and toxicants affect ovarian physiology in both wild and cultured fish.