Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway.
Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Sci Rep. 2018 Jan 30;8(1):1912. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20308-1.
Vgll3 is linked to age at maturity in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). However, the molecular mechanisms involving Vgll3 in controlling timing of puberty as well as relevant tissue and cell types are currently unknown. Vgll3 and the associated Hippo pathway has been linked to reduced proliferation activity in different tissues. Analysis of gene expression reveals for the first time that vgll3 and several members of the Hippo pathway were down-regulated in salmon testis during onset of puberty and remained repressed in maturing testis. In the gonads, we found expression in Sertoli and granulosa cells in males and females, respectively. We hypothesize that vgll3 negatively regulates Sertoli cell proliferation in testis and therefore acts as an inhibitor of pubertal testis growth. Gonadal expression of vgll3 is located to somatic cells that are in direct contact with germ cells in both sexes, however our results indicate sex-biased regulation of vgll3 during puberty.
Vgll3 与大西洋三文鱼（Salmo salar）的成熟年龄有关。然而，目前尚不清楚涉及 Vgll3 控制青春期时间以及相关组织和细胞类型的分子机制。Vgll3 和相关的 Hippo 通路已被证明与不同组织中的增殖活性降低有关。基因表达分析首次表明，在青春期开始时，vgll3 和 Hippo 通路的几个成员在三文鱼睾丸中下调，并在成熟睾丸中持续受到抑制。在性腺中，我们发现雄性和雌性的 Sertoli 和颗粒细胞中均有表达。我们假设 vgll3 负调控睾丸中 Sertoli 细胞的增殖，因此作为青春期睾丸生长的抑制剂。vgll3 在性腺中的表达定位于与两性生殖细胞直接接触的体细胞，但我们的结果表明，在青春期，vgll3 的表达存在性别偏倚调控。
