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- Title
Somatostatin signalling coordinates energy metabolism allocation to reproduction in zebrafish.
- Authors
Chen, Jie; Zhao, Wenting; Cao, Lei; Martins, Rute S. T.; Canário, Adelino V. M.
- Abstract
Background: Energy allocation between growth and reproduction determines puberty onset and fertility. In mammals, peripheral hormones such as leptin, insulin and ghrelin signal metabolic information to the higher centres controlling gonadotrophin-releasing hormone neurone activity. However, these observations could not be confirmed in lower vertebrates, suggesting that other factors may mediate the energetic trade-off between growth and reproduction. A bioinformatic and experimental study suggested co-regulation of the circadian clock, reproductive axis and growth-regulating genes in zebrafish. While loss-of-function of most of the identified co-regulated genes had no effect or only had mild effects on reproduction, no such information existed about the co-regulated somatostatin, well-known for its actions on growth and metabolism. Results: We show that somatostatin signalling is pivotal in regulating fecundity and metabolism. Knock-out of zebrafish somatostatin 1.1 (sst1.1) and somatostatin 1.2 (sst1.2) caused a 20–30% increase in embryonic primordial germ cells, and sst1.2−/− adults laid 40% more eggs than their wild-type siblings. The sst1.1−/− and sst1.2−/− mutants had divergent metabolic phenotypes: the former had 25% more pancreatic α-cells, were hyperglycaemic and glucose intolerant, and had increased adipocyte mass; the latter had 25% more pancreatic β-cells, improved glucose clearance and reduced adipocyte mass. Conclusions: We conclude that somatostatin signalling regulates energy metabolism and fecundity through anti-proliferative and modulatory actions on primordial germ cells, pancreatic insulin and glucagon cells and the hypothalamus. The ancient origin of the somatostatin system suggests it could act as a switch linking metabolism and reproduction across vertebrates. The results raise the possibility of applications in human and animal fertility.
- Subjects
SOMATOSTATIN; BRACHYDANIO; CLOCK genes; GERM cells; REPRODUCTION; GHRELIN; FERTILITY; ENERGY metabolism
- Publication
BMC Biology, 2024, Vol 22, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1741-7007
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s12915-024-01961-7