Soy Isoflavones Induce Feminization of Japanese Eel (<i>Anguilla japonica</i>)
Under aquaculture conditions, Japanese eels (<i>Anguilla japonica</i>) produce a high percentage of males. However, females gain higher body weight and have better commercial value than males, and, therefore, a high female ratio is required in eel aquaculture. In this study, we examined...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/1/396 |
| Summary: | Under aquaculture conditions, Japanese eels (<i>Anguilla japonica</i>) produce a high percentage of males. However, females gain higher body weight and have better commercial value than males, and, therefore, a high female ratio is required in eel aquaculture. In this study, we examined the effects of isoflavones, genistein, and daidzein on sex differentiation and sex-specific genes of eels. To investigate the effects of these phytoestrogens on the gonadal sex, we explored the feminizing effects of soy isoflavones, genistein, and daidzein in a dose-dependent manner. The results showed that genistein induced feminization more efficiently than daidzein. To identify the molecular mechanisms of sex-specific genes, we performed a comprehensive expression analysis by quantitative real-time PCR and RNA sequencing. Phenotypic males and females were produced by feeding elvers a normal diet or an estradiol-17β- or genistein-treated diet for 45 days. The results showed that female-specific genes were up-regulated and male-specific genes were down-regulated in the gonads, suggesting that genistein induces feminization by altering the molecular pathways responsible for eel sex differentiation. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |