Ovarian yolk formation in fishes: Molecular mechanisms underlying formation of lipid droplets and vitellogenin-derived yolk proteins

Naoshi Hiramatsu; Takashi Todo; Craig V Sullivan; Justin Schilling; Benjamin J Reading; Takahiro Matsubara; Yong-Woon Ryu; Hiroko Mizuta; Wenshu Luo; Osamu Nishimiya; Meiqin Wu; Yuji Mushirobira; Ozlem Yilmaz; Akihiko Hara

doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.01.025

Ovarian yolk formation in fishes: Molecular mechanisms underlying formation of lipid droplets and vitellogenin-derived yolk proteins

Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2015 Sep 15:221:9-15. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.01.025. Epub 2015 Feb 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan. Electronic address: naoshi@fish.hokudai.ac.jp.
² Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan.
³ Carolina AquaGyn, P.O. Box 12914, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA.
⁴ Department of Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA; Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA(1).
⁵ South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Ehime 798-4206, Japan.
⁶ Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan; South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Ehime 798-4206, Japan.
⁷ Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan.
⁸ Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan; Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI, Mishima 411-8540, Japan(1).
⁹ National Institute of Agronomic Research, Campus de Beaulieu, 35000 Rennes Cedex, France.

PMID: 25660470
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.01.025

Abstract

Fish egg yolk is largely derived from vitellogenins, which are synthesized in the liver, taken up from the maternal circulation by growing oocytes via receptor-mediated endocytosis and enzymatically processed into yolk proteins that are stored in the ooplasm. Lipid droplets are another major component of fish egg yolk, and these are mainly composed of neutral lipids that may originate from maternal plasma lipoproteins. This review aims to briefly summarize our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying yolk formation in fishes. A hypothetical model of oocyte growth is proposed based on recent advances in our knowledge of fish yolk formation.

Keywords: Fish; Lipoprotein receptors; Lipoproteins; Oocyte; Vitellogenins; Yolk.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Egg Proteins / metabolism*
Egg Yolk / metabolism*
Female
Fishes / metabolism*
Lipid Droplets / metabolism*
Ovary / metabolism*
Vitellogenins / metabolism*

Substances

Egg Proteins
Vitellogenins