Providing recombinant gonadotropin-based therapies that induce complete gametogenesis and produce viable larvae from an immature teleost, flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Abstract

Under intensive captive conditions, wild-caught flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) females remained arrested at early gonad development and no sperm could be obtained from males. With the aim to induce and complete oogenesis, induce the release of sperm and obtain fertilized eggs, adult female and male grey mullet were treated with M. cephalus single-chain recombinant gonadotropins (rGths), follicle-stimulating (rFsh) and luteinizing (rLh) hormones. In Experiment 1, fish were treated with a weekly dose of rFsh (15 g kg-1), which in females significantly (P < 0.001) increased plasma concentration of 17{beta}-estradiol and induced vitellogenic oocyte growth up to a maximum mean diameter of 425 {+/-} 19 m after 9 weeks of treatment. In Experiment 2, fish were treated with weekly injections of both rFsh and rLh at different doses (from 2.5 to 12 g kg-1). Oocyte diameter reached 609 {+/-} 5 m, from which final oocyte maturation and ovulation was induced with 30 g kg-1 of rLh and 40 mg kg-1 of progesterone. Good quality sperm (> 75% motile spermatozoa) was obtained from males in both experiments, and in Exp. 2 the addition of rLh induced the production of higher quantities of sperm that were used to fertilise the eggs. Although fertilisation was low (0.4 %), these fertilized eggs with embryo development produced viable larvae (71% hatching rate). This is the first report in a teleost species, to obtain larvae from eggs that were from immature females induced through to maturation with rGths. In comparison, control females remained arrested as immature fish and control males did not produce sperm. The study demonstrated that both rGths are effective to induce the entire process of oogenesis in sexually immature female grey mullet and to obtain flowing sperm from males, adding more data to confirm the roles of the Gths in teleost gametogenesis. This advance provides the bases of a therapy for the use in the aquaculture of teleost of commercial interest or the conservation of endangered species.