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Prepubertal gonad investment modulates thymus function: evidence in a teleost fish
Matthieu Paiola1, Catarina Moreira1, Julie Hétru1
1Normandy University, FR CNRS 3730 SCALE, UMR-I 02 INERIS-URCA-ULH Environmental Stress and Aquatic Biomonitoring (SEBIO), University of Le Havre Normandy, 76600 Le Havre, France.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|August 23, 2021
Summary
Reproductive development in fish halts thymus growth, suggesting a resource trade-off. This interaction during prepuberty may explain thymus aging in mammals, influenced by environmental conditions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Fish Biology
Background:
- Sex hormones influence thymus plasticity across vertebrates.
- The physiological significance and developmental timing of gonad-thymus interaction are poorly understood.
- Teleost fish offer a model to study immune system plasticity and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if thymus plasticity in European sea bass is linked to resource allocation with growth and reproduction.
- To determine if gonad-thymus interaction occurs during gonadal differentiation and development.
- To assess the role of environmental factors (photoperiod, temperature) in mediating this interaction.
Main Methods:
- Juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were raised for one year under constant or fluctuating photoperiod and temperature.
- Thymus changes were evaluated, including foxn1 expression, thymocyte, and T cell content.
- Somatic growth, gonadal development, and reproductive investment were assessed.
Main Results:
- Gonadal development during prepuberty coincided with a cessation of thymus growth in both environmental conditions.
- Somatic growth continued despite the halt in thymus development.
- The impact of reproduction on the thymus was modulated by ecophysiological conditions, not solely by sexual maturity or hormone levels.
Conclusions:
- Gonadal development in prepubescent fish regulates thymus plasticity, indicating a resource trade-off.
- This finding provides a potential explanation for the onset of thymus involution associated with aging in mammals.
- Environmental conditions significantly influence the extent to which reproductive status affects thymus plasticity.
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