Studies on structure and function of sex steroids in amphioxus

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23570070
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphology/Structure
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: KUBOKAWA Kaoru 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任教授 (30240740)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ANDO Hironori 新潟大学, 佐渡臨海実験所, 教授 (60221743)
• Research Collaborator: KATSU Yoshinao ; KATO Akiko ; KOJIMA Ayaka ; ROY Sonali ; URANO Akihisa
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 性ステロイド / ナメクジウオ / 脊索動物 / 進化 / 神経索 / in situ ハイブリダイゼーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sex steroids are specific hormones in vertebrates, which control the reproductive function and maintain the balance of the nerve and visceral activities of the body. Their role is manifested through a complex metabolic system of steroidogenesis Thus, new functions of the sex steroid system are being discovered; however, many other functions remain unknown. In this study, we examined the sex steroid metabolic system of amphioxus. We found a major sex steroid metabolic pathway, 5α-reduced steroid, which is rarely used in vertebrates. In addition, the sex steroids are actively synthesized in the nerve system. It suggests that sex steroidogenesis of vertebrates is acquired in step with the evolution of a notochord and diverged during the evolution in Chordata.

Free Research Field

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