Effects of estradiol on lipid metabolism, gamete development, and maturation during reproduction in sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and its potential signaling-regulated network
Zhang, Y.; Eeckhaut, I.; Zhang, L. (2026). Effects of estradiol on lipid metabolism, gamete development, and maturation during reproduction in sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and its potential signaling-regulated network. Aquaculture 612: 743116. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2025.743116
In: Aquaculture. Elsevier: Amsterdam; London; New York; Oxford; Tokyo. ISSN 0044-8486; e-ISSN 1873-5622, more
|  |
| Keyword |
Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867) [WoRMS]
|
| Author keywords |
Estradiol; Lipid metabolism; Gamete development and maturation; Signaling regulation |
| Authors | | Top |
- Zhang, Y.
- Eeckhaut, I., more
- Zhang, L.
|
|
|
| Abstract |
Sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) is an important aquacultured species due to its economic and medicinal values. Reproduction is a key process in sea cucumber aquaculture and gonadal development is the basis of reproduction. Estrogen, as one of the important reproductive endocrine substances, is involved in many physiological processes regulating reproduction. However, whether estrogen can induce gonadal development of A. japonicus and its potential mechanism have not been deeply addressed. Here, we exposed sea cucumbers to 0.1 μg / L, 1 μg / L, 10 μg / L E2 for 30 days, and found that the male and female gonadosomatic index increased significantly in 10 μg / L and 1 μg / L E2, respectively. In addition, E2 treatment significantly promoted the expression level of Vg mRNA in ovaries with the best promotion effect with a concentration of 1 μg / L. Then, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing were used to identify differentially accumulated metabolites and differentially expressed genes after E2 (1 μg / L) interference. Combined analysis of transcription and metabolism showed that E2 activated male fatty acid synthesis-related genes promoting lipid accumulation. Compared to males, lipid production in female was limited, while oxidation was increased, providing more energy for ovarian development. Finally, we verified the potential signaling pathways which mediate the E2 effect in A. japonicus gonadal development. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that E2 likely regulate lipid metabolism and oocyte maturation in female sea cucumber by down-regulating some pathways, including cAMP, FOXO and mTOR. In conclusion, our analysis showed that (i) exogenous E2 regulated the A. japonicus gonadal development through the non-genomic effect of membrane receptors, (ii) the effect of E2 was dose-dependent and (iii) sex-specific. |
|
