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Growth hormone expression in ontogenic development in gilthead sea bream

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Abstract

The pattern of expression of the growth hormone (GH) gene was studied during the early development of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). The GH transcript was detected from the 2nd day of the larval stage onwards. In the next stages the expression level fluctuated, possibly due to different regulatory factors. The distribution of GH mRNA studied by in situ hybridization (ISH) was found to be pituitary specific. Hybridization signals for GH mRNA were detected for the first time in 4-day-old larvae. Throughout development the cells that express GH mRNA were mainly located in the proximal pars distalis. Mammosomatotroph cells coexpressing GH and PRL were not detected in juveniles or adults. Moreover, the possible involvement of GH in asynchronic growth in cultivation of gilthead sea bream was also examined by ISH. No differences in the distribution of GH cells were observed in the three sizes of juveniles of gilthead sea bream studied. These results suggest that the transcription of GH is involved in the early developmental stages of sea bream and the asynchronous growth-related changes are not due to distinct distribution of GH cells.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank G.H. Jenkins for revising the English version of this manuscript, M.T. Sánchez for technical assistance and Mariscos de Estero, S.A. (Ayamonte, Huelva, Spain), for providing the fish used in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Biología Celular, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León (INCyL), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    M. J. Herrero-Turrión, A. Velasco, J. Aijón & J. M. Lara

  2. Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León (INCyL), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    R. E. Rodríguez

  3. Medicina Molecular, Salamanca, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León (INCyL), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    R. González-Sarmiento

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  1. M. J. Herrero-Turrión
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  2. R. E. Rodríguez
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  3. A. Velasco
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  4. R. González-Sarmiento
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  5. J. Aijón
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  6. J. M. Lara
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Correspondence to J. M. Lara.

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This work was supported by the FISS PI021730, Junta de Castilla y León SA067/03 and BOS2000-1119 projects.

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Herrero-Turrión, M.J., Rodríguez, R.E., Velasco, A. et al. Growth hormone expression in ontogenic development in gilthead sea bream. Cell Tissue Res 313, 81–91 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-003-0735-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-003-0735-z

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