Environmental stress-induced testis differentiation: androgen as a by-product of cortisol inactivation.
Gen Comp Endocrinol
; 192: 36-44, 2013 Oct 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23770022
ABSTRACT
This review deals with the gonadal masculinization induced by thermal stress in fish with focus on the action of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ß-HSD) as this mechanism key transducer. High temperatures have been reported to produce male-skewed sex ratios in several species with TSD (temperature-dependent sex determination), and in some of them, this process was reported to be associated with high levels of cortisol, the hormone-related stress in vertebrates, during early gonad development. In addition, in pejerrey larvae reared at high-masculinizing temperatures, 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), the main and most potent androgen in fish, was also detected at high levels. In testicular explants, cortisol induced the synthesis of 11-KT, suggesting that its synthesis could be under the control of the stress axis at the time of gonadal fate determination. 11ß-HSD is one of the enzymes shared by the glucocorticoid and androgen pathways; this enzyme converts cortisol to cortisone and also participates in the finals steps of the synthesis of the 11-oxigenated androgens. Based on these data and literature information, here we propose that the masculinization induced by thermal stress can be considered as a consequence of cortisol inactivation and the concomitant synthesis of 11-KT and discussing this as a possible mechanism of masculinization induced by different types of environmental stressors.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Diferenciación Sexual
/
Estrés Fisiológico
/
Testículo
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Gen Comp Endocrinol
Año:
2013
Tipo del documento:
Article