Nuclear and membrane progestin receptors in the European eel: characterization and expression in vivo through spermatogenesis

Abstract

[EN] Characterization of all the progestin receptor genes (PRs) found in the European eel has been performed. There were five membrane PRs (mPRs): mPR alpha (alpha), mPRAL1 (alpha-likel), mPRAL2 (alpha-like2), mPRy (gamma), mPR delta (delta) and two nuclear PRs (nPRs or PGRs): pgr1 and pgr2. In silico studies showed that the C and E(F) domains of Pgr are well conserved among vertebrates whereas the A/B domain is not. Phylogeny and synteny analyses suggest that eel duplicated pgr (pgr1 and pgr2) originated from the teleost-specific third whole genome duplication (3R). mPR phylogeny placed three eel mPRs together with the mPRce Glade, being termed mPRet, mPRAL1 and mPRAL2, while the other two eel mPRs clustered with mPRy and mPRS clades, respectively. The in vivo study showed differential expression patterns along the brain-pituitary-gonad axis. An increase in nPR transcripts was observed in brain (in pgrl) and pituitary (in pgrl and pgr2) through the spermatogenesis, from the spermatogonia B/spermatocyte stage to the spermiation stage. In the testis, mPRy, mPRS and pgr2 transcripts showed the highest levels in testis with A spermatogonia as dominant germ cell, while the highest mPRce, mPRAL1 and mPRAL2 transcripts were observed in testis from spermiating males, where the dominant germ cell were spermatozoa. Further studies should elucidate the role of both nuclear and membrane progestin receptors on eel spermatogenesis.