Roles of Nongenomic and Genomic Steroid Receptors in Reproduction and Behaviors via Studying Zebrafish Knockouts
Yong Zhu1,2*
1. Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
2. College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Steroid hormone receptors are expressed in various target tissues important for deciphering rapid (nongenomic <few minutes) and slow (genomic >30 minutes) signaling of steroids to initiate or maintain a wide range of physiological processes such as maturation of germ cells and courtship. Recently, several new classes of steroid receptor families with no sequence homology to any classic (nuclear) steroid receptors have also been identified. Understanding of signaling and physiological functions of these steroid receptors has important implications in aquaculture, agriculture, and medicine such as fertility control and increase of production efficiency. So far, our knowledge on the functions and signaling of these steroid receptors, particularly in early vertebrates were poor, mainly due to limited pharmacological or physiological studies. Results from these studies often contraindicated each other and frequently led to inclusive conclusions. With the advent of gene editing technologies, we have generated knockout models of these steroid receptors in zebrafish using TALENs and CRISPR, and characterized these knockouts. In this talk, I will discuss our new findings from the zebrafish knockouts to demonstrate the important roles of these receptors in the regulation of fertility including oogenesis, oocyte maturation and ovulation; and behaviors including reproductive and social interactions.
Acknowledgement: NIH GM100461, North Carolina Biotechnology Center Biotechnology Research Grant #2012-BRG-1210.
Key Words: steroid receptor, genomic, nongenomic, fertility, oocyte maturation, ovulation, social behavior, reproductive behavior, TALEN, CRISPR, zebrafish.
Yong Zhu1,2*
1. Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
2. College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Steroid hormone receptors are expressed in various target tissues important for deciphering rapid (nongenomic <few minutes) and slow (genomic >30 minutes) signaling of steroids to initiate or maintain a wide range of physiological processes such as maturation of germ cells and courtship. Recently, several new classes of steroid receptor families with no sequence homology to any classic (nuclear) steroid receptors have also been identified. Understanding of signaling and physiological functions of these steroid receptors has important implications in aquaculture, agriculture, and medicine such as fertility control and increase of production efficiency. So far, our knowledge on the functions and signaling of these steroid receptors, particularly in early vertebrates were poor, mainly due to limited pharmacological or physiological studies. Results from these studies often contraindicated each other and frequently led to inclusive conclusions. With the advent of gene editing technologies, we have generated knockout models of these steroid receptors in zebrafish using TALENs and CRISPR, and characterized these knockouts. In this talk, I will discuss our new findings from the zebrafish knockouts to demonstrate the important roles of these receptors in the regulation of fertility including oogenesis, oocyte maturation and ovulation; and behaviors including reproductive and social interactions.
Acknowledgement: NIH GM100461, North Carolina Biotechnology Center Biotechnology Research Grant #2012-BRG-1210.
Key Words: steroid receptor, genomic, nongenomic, fertility, oocyte maturation, ovulation, social behavior, reproductive behavior, TALEN, CRISPR, zebrafish.