Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is one of the major neurotransmitters, modulating diverse behaviours and physiological functions. Really interesting new gene (RING) finger protein 38 (RNF38) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase whose function remains unclear. A recent study has shown a possible regulatory relationship between RNF38 and the 5-HT system. Therefore, to gain insight into the role of RNF38 in the central 5-HT system, we identified the neuroanatomical location of 5-HT positive cells and investigated the relationship between RNF38 and the 5-HT system in the brain of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Immunocytochemistry revealed three neuronal populations of 5-HT in the brain of tilapia; the paraventricular organ (PVO), the dorsal and ventral periventricular pretectal nuclei (PPd and PPv), and, the superior and inferior raphe (SR and IR). The 5-HT neuronal number was highest in the raphe (90.4 in SR, 284.6 in IR), followed by the pretectal area (22.3 in PPd, 209.8 in PPv). Double-label immunocytochemistry showed that the majority of 5-HT neurons express RNF38 nuclear proteins (66.5% in PPd; 77.9% in PPv; 35.7% in SR; 49.1% in IR). These findings suggest that RNF38 could be involved in E3 ubiquitination in the central 5-HT system.
Highlights
The monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is one of the major neurotransmitters, modulating diverse behavioural and physiological functions such as mood, fear, aggression, appetite, sleep, memory and reproduction (Jacobs and Azmitia, 1992; Lucki, 1998; Charnay and Léger, 2010; Lillesaar, 2011)
The present study identified the distribution of 5-HT cell bodies in the brains of tilapia (Figures 1A–Eii)
The present study examined the distribution of 5-HT neurons in the brain of the Nile tilapia
Summary
The monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is one of the major neurotransmitters, modulating diverse behavioural and physiological functions such as mood, fear, aggression, appetite, sleep, memory and reproduction (Jacobs and Azmitia, 1992; Lucki, 1998; Charnay and Léger, 2010; Lillesaar, 2011). Despite concerted efforts to characterise 5HT’s multiple roles, the target brain regions responsible for its capacity to modulate behavioural and neuroendocrine responses, and the underlying mechanisms involved in these neurological disorders, remain poorly understood. In all vertebrates studied, such as mammals (Dahlström and Fuxe, 1964; Steinbusch, 1981; Charnay and Léger, 2010), amphibians (Ueda et al, 1984; Clairambault et al, 1994), reptiles
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