Quantitative analysis of fushi tarazu factor 1 homolog messenger ribonucleic acids in the pituitary of salmon at different prespawning stages

Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) or Ad4BP is a member of the fushi tarazu factor 1 (FTZ-F1) family and an orphan nuclear receptor that plays an important role in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis and the adrenal cortex. Although its critical role in the differentiation of adrenals, gonads, and pituitary gonadotropes has been well demonstrated, regulatory function of SF-1 during sexual maturation is yet to be examined. To investigate the potential role of SF-1 in sexual maturation, expression of two salmon FTZ-F1 homolog genes, sFF1-I and sFF1-II, was examined in the pituitaries of chum and sockeye salmons, using specific and sensitive RNase protection assays. Only sFF1-I mRNA was found in the pituitary and other organs, such as the ovary, spleen, liver, brain, and skeletal muscle. In chum salmon during upstream migration from the bay to the hatchery, the level of sFF1-I mRNA in the male fish was increased on the midway in the river, where the levels of gonadotropin alpha- and II beta -subunit mRNAs were increased. In maturing sockeye salmon, the expression of the sFF1-I gene was elevated in the mature male fish, but the administration of CnRH analog did not further enhance the expression. These results indicate that sFF1-I gene expression in the pituitary is upregulated in maturing salmon, and this upregulation may not depend on GnRH.