Differential expression of preprosomatostatin- and somatostatin receptor-encoding mRNAs in association with the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor system during embryonic development of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

Rainbow trout were used to evaluate the relationship between the somatostatin (SS) signaling and the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF) systems during pre-hatch and post-hatch embryonic development. The expression of preprosomatostatins (PPSS), SS receptors (SSTR), GH receptors (GHR), IGF-1, IGF-2, and IGF type 1 receptors (IGFR1) was examined in various regions at the eyed-egg (29 days post-fertilization, dpf;), post-hatch (53 dpf), swim-up (68 dpf), and complete yolk-absorbed (90 dpf) stages. In head, PPSSI mRNA abundance increased during development while that of PPSSII′ decreased and that of PPSSII″ remained unchanged. In body and tail, mRNA abundance of all PPSSs remained unchanged except that of PPSSII″ which declined in the tail. SSTR expression increased as development progressed in all regions with the exception of SSTR1A mRNA which remained unchanged. mRNA levels of GHR1 declined in all regions of post-hatch embryos, whereas those of GHR2 remained unchanged. Expression of IGF-1 and IGF-2 in head and tail regions increased immediately after hatching, and then declined, whereas the expression of neither IGF changed during development in the body. The expression of IGFR1 mRNAs declined in all regions, reaching their lowest levels at 90 dpf, with the exception of IGFR1A mRNA in the body which remained unchanged. The general decline in the expression of GH-IGF system components during development appears inversely related to a general increase in the expression of SS system elements, and suggests that these two systems interact to regulate the tissue expansion and tissue regression of embryogenesis.