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Maternal Cortisol Mediates Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Interrenal Axis Development in Zebrafish
Dinushan Nesan1, Mathilakath M Vijayan1
1Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada.
Scientific Reports
|March 5, 2016
Summary
Maternally deposited cortisol is crucial for zebrafish HPI axis development. Manipulating maternal cortisol levels impacts larval stress responses and HPI axis gene expression.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
- Zebrafish Models
Background:
- Cortisol synthesis in zebrafish begins post-hatch, but maternal cortisol is present during embryogenesis.
- The precise role of maternally deposited cortisol in early development and HPI axis programming remains largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the essential role of maternal cortisol in the development of the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and the onset of stress-induced cortisol responses in larval zebrafish.
Main Methods:
- Zygotic cortisol content was manipulated in zebrafish embryos via microinjection of antibodies to sequester maternal cortisol or exogenous steroid to increase levels.
- Larval phenotypes and HPI axis gene expression (crf, 11B hydroxylase, pomca, star) were analyzed in response to these manipulations.
Main Results:
- Reduced maternal cortisol led to mesodermal deformities and heightened larval stress response, while excess cortisol caused cardiac edema and abolished stress-induced cortisol elevation.
- Altered expression of key HPI axis genes correlated with cortisol availability: upregulation with reduced cortisol and downregulation with excess cortisol.
Conclusions:
- Maternally deposited cortisol plays a critical role in programming HPI axis development and function in zebrafish.
- This study provides the first evidence for the essential function of maternal cortisol in establishing HPI axis activity and stress responsiveness in early zebrafish life stages.
