TITLE:
Underground water affects sexual behavior and gene expression of hormones related to reproduction in blue gourami males
AUTHORS:
Gad Degani, Gal Levy
KEYWORDS:
Growth; Reproduction; Salinity; Teleosts
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Biological Chemistry,
Vol.3 No.1,
February
26,
2013
ABSTRACT: This study examined the effect of underground
water on reproduction- and growth-related hormones in blue gourami
males under non-reproductive and reproductive conditions. An increase in the
percentage of males building nests under the highest percentage of underground
water were compared to fish that maintained a lower percentage of underground water
in the first two days. The % Gonado-somatic index (GSI) of males building nests
was higher than non- reproductively active males in water containing the lowest
concentration of underground water. In non- reproductively active males, brain
gonadotropin releasing hormone 1 (GnRH1) and pituitary β subunit of gonadotropins (GtHs) and prolactin (PRL) mRNA levels
were significantly higher in males maintained in underground water. In
reproductively active males, mRNA levels of brain GnRH1, gonadotropin releasing
hormone 3 (GnRH3) and pituitary PRL mRNA levels were significantly higher than
males maintained in underground water. Thus, it is suggested that underground
water with high salinity and conductivity levels affects the gene expression
of repro- duction-related hormones; in reproductively active males, it
shortened the duration of nest-building by blue gourami males.