Divergent and sex-dimorphic expression of the paralogs of the Sox9-Amh-Cyp19a1 regulatory cascade in developing and adult atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.).

The factors of the Sox9-Amh-Cyp19a1 cascade play a crucial role in the complex process of sex differentiation in mammals. The involvement of Sox9 and Cyp19a1 paralogs and the single Amh ortholog in sex differentiation and development of the gonads and the brain in Atlantic cod was examined by analyzing bimodal and sex-dimorphic gene expression patterns, respectively, during early stages and in maturing males and females. Expression of sox9a and sox9b were initiated at blastulation, and both paralogs were expressed in chondrogenic tissue in the hatched larvae. The male-specific expression of sox9a in the adult gonads supports a conserved role in testis function, while sox9b was expressed in the maturing testes and ovaries at similar levels. Amh was expressed at low, but variable, levels from late gastrulation prior to the onset of cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b expression. Male-biased amh expression was found in the maturing gonads, but the increased ovarian levels during maturation suggest a role also in females. The larval expression of cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b increased at the expected time of sex differentiation, but showed large individual variation. The ovarian expression of cyp19a1a and amh increased concomitant with increased plasma estradiol levels during vitellogenesis. The testis-specific cyp19a1b expression supports the importance of estrogen in the spermatogenesis, while abundant expression in the male and female brain is probably related to the continuous neurogenesis in fish. These divergent and sex-dimorphic expression patterns of the cod sox9 and cyp19a1 paralogs demonstrate the complexity of the genetic network regulating sexual development in fish.