Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones involved in various biological processes like carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, immune regulation, growth, and behavior. Cortisol, in particular, is the primary glucocorticoid involved in stress response. The 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (Hsd11b2) is a key enzyme in the regulation of the bioavailability of cortisol because it catalyzes the conversion of cortisol into cortisone, its inactive form. In teleost fish this enzyme also catalyzes the synthesis of 11-ketotestosterone, the most critical and active androgen in males. This enzyme is not present in the hsd11b2 zebrafish mutant line, which was generated with CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the laboratory where I am spending the internship. Due to this, mutant fishes show a significant delay in returning to cortisol basal level after stress. Moreover, whereas the female reproductive capability is impaired, males cannot reproduce. This work aims to elucidate whether the knockout of the hsd11b2 gene may influence the expression pattern of other enzymes involved in cortisol catabolism and steroidogenesis in different tissues of adult zebrafish mutants using the RT-qPCR experimental approach.

Analysis of the expression pattern of enzymes involved in steroid synthesis and cortisol catabolism in hsd11β2 zebrafish mutant line by RT-qPCR

BURATTO, CHRISTIAN
2021/2022

Abstract

Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones involved in various biological processes like carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, immune regulation, growth, and behavior. Cortisol, in particular, is the primary glucocorticoid involved in stress response. The 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (Hsd11b2) is a key enzyme in the regulation of the bioavailability of cortisol because it catalyzes the conversion of cortisol into cortisone, its inactive form. In teleost fish this enzyme also catalyzes the synthesis of 11-ketotestosterone, the most critical and active androgen in males. This enzyme is not present in the hsd11b2 zebrafish mutant line, which was generated with CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the laboratory where I am spending the internship. Due to this, mutant fishes show a significant delay in returning to cortisol basal level after stress. Moreover, whereas the female reproductive capability is impaired, males cannot reproduce. This work aims to elucidate whether the knockout of the hsd11b2 gene may influence the expression pattern of other enzymes involved in cortisol catabolism and steroidogenesis in different tissues of adult zebrafish mutants using the RT-qPCR experimental approach.
2021
Analysis of the expression pattern of enzymes involved in steroid synthesis and cortisol catabolism in hsd11β2 zebrafish mutant line by RT-qPCR
steroid synthesis
cortisol catabolism
Hsd11b2
glucocorticoids
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/34796