Semen promotes oocyte development in Sebastes schlegelii elucidating ovarian development dynamics in live-bearing fish
Fengyan Zhang,
Weihao Song,
Ruiyan Yang,
Chaofan Jin,
Yuheng Xie,
Yiyang Shen,
Xiangyu Gao,
Hao Sun,
Tianci Nie,
Xinlu Yue,
Zongcheng Song,
Jie Qi,
Quanqi Zhang,
Yan He
Affiliations
Fengyan Zhang
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Weihao Song
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Ruiyan Yang
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Chaofan Jin
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Yuheng Xie
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Yiyang Shen
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Xiangyu Gao
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Hao Sun
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Tianci Nie
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Xinlu Yue
Weihai Shenghang Ocean Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Weihai, Shandong 264200, China
Zongcheng Song
Weihai Shenghang Ocean Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Weihai, Shandong 264200, China
Jie Qi
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China
Quanqi Zhang
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China; Weihai Shenghang Ocean Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Weihai, Shandong 264200, China
Yan He
MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000/Sanya 572000, Shandong/Hainan, China; Corresponding author
Summary: In some vertebrates and invertebrates, semen release factors affecting female physiology and behavior. Here, we report that semen delivered to females is potentially beneficial for promoting oocyte development in a viviparous teleost, Sebastes schlegelii. 88% of mated ovaries develop normally and give birth to larval fish, whereas 61% of non-mated ovaries are arrested in the previtellogenic stage. Semen’s significant role (p < 0.0001) in promoting oocyte development may involve remodeling follicular cells and regulating the expression of the extracellular matrix, which facilitates cell communication. Furthermore, the ovarian response to semen may influence the brain, affecting hormone release, follicular cell development and steroid production, and crucial for oocyte growth. This mechanism, which could potentially delay maternal investment in offspring until male genetic input occurs to avoid energy wastage, has not been previously described in teleosts. These findings enhance our understanding of ovarian development in viviparous fish, with broader implications for reproductive biology.
