Abstract
In the present study a proteomics approach has been taken to analyze differential protein expression between mature male and sex reversed male of <em>Nemacheilus angorae</em> gonads. In regard to the fruitful studies of sex reversal in mammalian species and the fact that some major sex determination molecules are conserved among vertebrates, <em>Nemacheilus angorae</em> (Angorae loach) seems to be a good model system in studying molecules involved in sex differentiation. <em>N. angorae</em> is a teleports fish exhibiting a spontaneous sex reversal (male to female) pattern. The gonads of adult individuals were dissected and used for histological investigation and protein analysis. Proteins were next analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and the distinguished spots have been compared in two experimental samples. Among them, 23 differentially expressed proteins spots were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis. Two spots in sex reversed testis with high score showed significant similarity to Vasa (assembling of the pole plasm and the pronuclear region of the oocyte) and Proline 4-hydroxylase proteins. Vasa are involved in germ cell development both in invertebrates and vertebrates. This data could be considered as starting base for subsequent studies to identify proteins involved in sex reversal and differentiation at different stages of gonadal maturation in fish.
Highlights
Fishes are an attractive group of organisms to study sex determination from the evolutionary point of view, because members of this class exemplify a complete range of various types of sex differentiation from hermaphroditism to gonochorism and from environmental to genetic sex determination (Baroiller, 1999; Devlin and Nagahama, 2002)
As the process of sex reversal proceeds, the oocytes increase in number (December is the month with most number of oocytes) and it shows the completion of the transformation of a functional male into a transitional individual
Among 23 differentially expressed proteins in male and sex changed male of Nemacheilus angorae, appearing as distinguished spots in 2D gels, 10 spots were identified by mass spectrometry
Summary
Fishes are an attractive group of organisms to study sex determination from the evolutionary point of view, because members of this class exemplify a complete range of various types of sex differentiation from hermaphroditism to gonochorism and from environmental to genetic sex determination (Baroiller, 1999; Devlin and Nagahama, 2002). Reproductive modes in fish are varied and include processes such as gonochorism (ovaries and testes occurring in separate individuals), hermaphroditism, and parthenogenesis (Nakamura et al, 1998). Fishes have both major gonosomal type of sex determination. Environmental cues influencing sex determination include variety of factors such as social interactions, pollution, pH, and temperature, among others (Francis, 1992)
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