Osmoregulatory role of vasotocinergic and isotocinergic systems in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L)

Abstract

Gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata L., is an important fish species for the Mediterranean aquaculture and is considered a good model for studying the osmoregulatory process, due to its capacity to cope with great changes in environmental salinity (5–60‰). Our group studied the osmoregulatory role of different endocrine systems in this species, focusing on the vasotocinergic and isotocinergic systems over several years. For this purpose, the cDNAs coding for pro-vasotocin (pro-vt), pro-isotocin (pro-it), two arginine vasotocin (AVT) receptors (avtr v1a2- and v2-types) and one IT receptor (itr) were cloned. Acclimation to different environmental salinities induced a direct lineal relationship between plasma AVT levels and salinity, with no changes in plasma IT values. In addition, higher values in vasotocinergic, isotocinergic and stress pathways (pro-vt and pro-it gene expression, AVT and IT storage and plasma cortisol levels) in both hypo- and/or hyper-osmotic transfers, suggest an interaction between cortisol and AVT/IT pathways. Moreover, gene expression of specific receptors, as well as the use of different in vitro techniques, demonstrated an important osmoregulatory orchestration in different organs. In addition, individuals intraperitoneally injected with AVT and transferred to different environmental salinities enhanced plasma cortisol levels and/or gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity. These effects could be related to the energy repartitioning process occurring during osmotic adaptation of S. aurata to extreme environmental salinities, which could be mediated not only by plasma cortisol but also by AVT. Finally, our results indicated a very important role of the vasotocinergic and/or isotocinergic systems in both osmoregulatory and non-osmoregulatory organs.