Action of the metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the gonadal remodeling during the sexual inversion in the juvenile hermaphroditism of Danio rerio

• Grant number: 16/02382-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Inland Water Fishery Resources
• Principal Investigator: Irani Quagio Grassiotto
• Grantee: Hinan Tsai Sun
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Teleostei exhibit great plasticity in the sexual expression and among species from different orders the hermaphroditism condition is frequent. During the sex inversion, occurs gonadal tissue degeneration from the first which is substituted by of the germinal tissue from the opposite sex. Besides the changes from the germinal tissue significant changes also occur in the interstitial compartment. These changes in gonadal tissue involve an extensive remodeling of the interstitial tissue. It is known that the metalloproteinases (MMPs) exercise important role in the modulation of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, the MMPs can be also involved in the interstitial remodeling during the sex inversion in Teleostei. Due to the lack of information on the action of the MMPs in the gonadal remodeling in fish, and considering the present study aims to evaluate the action of MMPs in tissue remodeling and her action in the morphological and physiological changes of the gonads, during sex inversion of the Danio rerio, which present juvenile hermaphroditism. In addition, the proposal intend to establish a comparative analysis on the behavior of the telocytes - a recently identified interstitial cells, not described for Teleostei yet - during the sexual inversion and the action of the esteroidogenic cells in the gonadal remodeling. Thus generate new knowledge that might be used in the sexual manipulation of fish for commercial production. (AU)