Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Da-Yeh University, Chang-Hua 515, Taiwan.
J Fish Biol. 2010 Jan;76(1):225-39. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02480.x.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) families are composed of liver-enriched transcription factors and upstream regulators of many liver-specific genes. HNF are involved in liver-specific gene expression, metabolism, development, cell growth and many cellular functions in the body. HNF genes can be activated or influenced by several hormones and insulin-like growth factors (IGF), and different combinations of the four HNF factors form a network in controlling the expression of liver-specific or liver-enriched genes. The functions of these factors and their interactions within the gonads of bony fishes, however, are not well understood, and the related literature is scant. Recently, several members of the HNF families have been detected in teleost gonads together with their downstream genes (IGF-I and IGF-II), suggesting that these HNF could be upregulated in vitro by steroid hormones. Thus, the hormone-HNF-IGF-gonad interaction may be an alternative axis in the reproductive mechanism that acts in concert with the conventional hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad pathway. This may help the early development and maturation of the gonad or gamete, sexual maturity or reversion and spawning-regulating mechanisms among fishes to be understood.
肝细胞核因子 (HNF) 家族由肝脏丰富的转录因子和许多肝脏特异性基因的上游调节剂组成。HNF 参与肝脏特异性基因表达、代谢、发育、细胞生长和身体的许多细胞功能。HNF 基因可被几种激素和胰岛素样生长因子 (IGF) 激活或影响，并且四种 HNF 因子的不同组合形成网络以控制肝脏特异性或肝脏丰富基因的表达。然而，这些因素的功能及其在硬骨鱼性腺中的相互作用尚未得到很好的理解，相关文献也很少。最近，在硬骨鱼的性腺中检测到了几种 HNF 家族成员以及它们的下游基因（IGF-I 和 IGF-II），这表明这些 HNF 可能会被类固醇激素在体外上调。因此，激素-HNF-IGF-性腺相互作用可能是生殖机制中的替代轴，与传统的下丘脑-垂体-性腺途径协同作用。这有助于理解鱼类的性腺或配子的早期发育和成熟、性成熟或逆转以及产卵调节机制。
