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Changes of vitellogenin and Lipase in captive Sterlet sturgeon Acipenser ruthenus females during previtellogenesis to early atresia

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An Erratum to this article was published on 06 April 2016

Abstract

Plasma chemistry, lipid metabolism and vitellogenin gene expression of captive Sterlet sturgeon Acipenser ruthenus were studied in different maturity stages. A total of 32 fish were sampled, and maturity stages were identified on the basis of histological criteria and direct observation. Females were classified to four groups: previtellogenic, vitellogenic, post-vitellogenic, and atresia. Blood, gonad and liver tissue samples were taken through non-lethal biopsy. Our results showed that plasma levels of glucose, cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase activity, albumin and total protein increased during ovarian development and were highest at post-vitellogenic stage. The lowest amounts in atresia stage demonstrate that lipid and energy imbalance was related to reabsorption and digestion of the yolk. These results suggested that the VLDL was the main plasma lipoprotein component of Sterlet. We determined that lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase activity increased during vitellogenesis process which suggested the role of lipase enzymes in regulating blood lipid metabolism. RT-PCR analysis indicates that Vitellogenin (VTG) mRNA could be detected both in livers and ovaries of female Sterlet. Throughout the study, the expression level of VTG gene showed an increase both in ovaries and in livers reaching its peak at late vitellogenesis stage. This strongly indicated a relation between VTG mRNA and ovarian development.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge of the Shahid Dr. Beheshti Sturgeon Fish Propagating and Rearing Complex for supplying the fish and also Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering Isfahan University of Technology providing the facilities for molecular experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine Natural Resources, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran

    Sobhan Ranay Akhavan & Amir Parviz Salati

  2. Fisheries Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, P.O. Box 1144, Sowmeh Sara, Guilan, Iran

    Bahram Falahatkar

  3. Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156–83111, Iran

    Seyed Amir Hossein Jalali

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  1. Sobhan Ranay Akhavan
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  3. Bahram Falahatkar
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  4. Seyed Amir Hossein Jalali
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Correspondence to Amir Parviz Salati.

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Akhavan, S.R., Salati, A.P., Falahatkar, B. et al. Changes of vitellogenin and Lipase in captive Sterlet sturgeon Acipenser ruthenus females during previtellogenesis to early atresia. Fish Physiol Biochem 42, 967–978 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-015-0189-8

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