We investigated the androgenic effects of $17{\alpha}$-methyltestosterone (MT) on gonadal sex reversal in juvenile red spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara. The fish were immersed in $17{\alpha}$-MT at 1 and 5 mg/L. Treatment method of $17{\alpha}$-MT was once weekly for 4 and 8 weeks. Fish were sampled at 12 months after end of the treatment period in order to histological analysis. At the initiation of an experiment (70 day after hatching), juvenile red spotted grouper have the paired primordial gonads with somatic cells bellow kidney in the posterior portion of the body cavity. Formation of ovarian cavity indicates that the ovarian differentiation beginning at 70 DAH in red spotted grouper. At 12 months after end of the treatment period, control group, $17{\alpha}$-MT 1 mg/L treatment group for 4 and 8 weeks, and $17{\alpha}$-MT 5 mg/L treatment group for 4 weeks were all female. However, sex-changed males without ovarian cavity were observed in the $17{\alpha}$-MT 5 mg/L treatment group for 8 weeks. In grouper, we firstly reported that the red spotted grouper be able to induce the primary males by hormone treatment prior to gonadal sex differentiation.

Rearing experiments were conducted using several regimes combined with different photoperiods and water temperatures to investigate the role of temperature and photoperiod as environmental cues regulating reproduction in red marbled rockfish, Sebastiscus tertius. The initial gonadosomatic index (GSI) was $1.62{\pm}0.32%$ and that in the $15^{\circ}C$ control was $7.01{\pm}0.46%$ at the end of the experiment. The highest GSI was $9.10{\pm}0.35%$ in the 12L:12D photoperiod-treated fish. The highest GSI at $19^{\circ}C$ was $15.03{\pm}0.86%$ in the 12L:12D photoperiod treatment. The initial hepatosomatic index (HSI) was $3.09{\pm}0.72%$ and that in the $15^{\circ}C$ control was $3.88{\pm}0.45%$. The highest HSI was $4.00{\pm}0.56%$ in the 15L:9D treated fish. The highest HSI at $19^{\circ}C$ was $4.05{\pm}0.63%$ in the 12L:12D treated fish.

Different with other fishes, the guppies (Poecilia reticulata) is ovoviviparity, which retain their fertilized eggs within the follicle throughout gestation. The synchronously growing diplotene oocytes store nutrients in droplets and yolk, before their maturation and fertilization. The lecithotrophic strategy of development entails the provisioning of embryos with resources from the maternal yolk deposit rather than from a placenta, it allows the extracorporeal culture of guppy embryo. Studies on their early development of live bearers like the guppy including lineage tracing and genetic manipulations, have been limited. Therefore, to optimize conditions of embryo in vitro culture, explanted embryos from pregnant females were incubated in embryo medium (L-15 medium, supplemented with 5, 10, 15, 20% fetal bovine serum, respectively). We investigated whether the contents of FBS in vitro culture medium impact the development of embryos, and whether they would hatch in vitro. Our study found that in 5% of FBS of the medium, although embryos developed significantly slower in vitro than in the ovary, it was impossible to exactly quantify the developmental delay in culture, due to the obvious spread in developmental stage within each batch of eggs, and embryos can only be maintained until the early-eyed. And although in culture with 20% FBS the embryos can sustain rapid development of early stage, but cannot be cultured for the entire period of their embryonic development and ultimately died. In the medium with 10% and 15% FBS, the embryos seems well developed, even some can continue to grow after follicle ruptures until it can be fed. We also observed that embryonic in these two culture conditions were significantly different in development speed, in 15% it is faster than 10%. But 10% FBS appears to be more optimizing condition than 15% one on development process of embryos and survival rate to larvae stage.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of of transdermal testosterone gel (TTG) on controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and IVF outcomes and ovarian morphology according to pretreatment duration in poor responders. A total of 120 women were recruited for this pilot study. They were randomized into control, 2 weeks, 3 weeks or 4 weeks TTG treatment groups. For three TTG treatment groups, 12.5 mg TTG was applied daily for 2 weeks, 3 weeks or 4 weeks in preceding period of study stimulation cycle. After 3 weeks of TTG pretreatment, significant increase of antral follicle count (AFC) and significant decreases of mean follicular diameter (MFD) and resistance index (RI) value of ovarian stromal artery were observed (p=0.026, p<0.001, p<0.01, respectively). The total dose of rhFSH administered for COS significantly decreased after 3 and 4 weeks TTG treatment both compared with control group (p<0.001, p<0.001). The numbers of oocytes retrieved and mature oocytes were significanty higher in 3 and 4 weeks TTG treatment groups than control group (p<0.001, p<0.001 in the number of oocytes retrieved; p<0.001, p<0.001 in the number of mature oocytes). The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were increased only in 4 weeks TTG treatment group compared with control group (p=0.030 and p=0.042, respectively). These data demonstrated that TTG pretreatment for 3 to 4 weeks increases AFC and ovarian stromal blood flow, thereby potentially improving the ovarian response to COS and IVF outcome in poor responders undergoing IVF/ICSI.

Adaptive development of early stage embryo is well established and recently it is explored that the mammalian embryos also have adaptive ability to the stressful environment. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, to evaluate the possible role of aquaporin in early embryo developmental adaptation, the expression of aquaporin (AQP) 5 gene which is detected during early development were examined by the environmental condition. To compare expression patterns between in vivo and in vitro, we conducted quantitative RT-PCR and analyzed localization of the AQP5 by whole mount immunofluorescence. At in vivo condition, Aqp5 expressed in oocyte and in all the stages of preimplantation embryo. It showed peak at 2-cell stage and decreased continuously until morula stage. At in vitro condition, Aqp5 expression pattern was similar with in vivo embryos. It expressed both at embryonic genome activation phase and second mid-preimplantation gene activation phase, but the fold changes were modified between in vivo embryos and in vitro embryos. During in vivo development, AQP5 was mainly localized in apical membrane of blastomeres of 4-cell and 8-cell stage embryos, and then it was localized in cytoplasm. However, the main localization area of AQP5 was dramatically shifted after 8-cell stage from cytoplasm to nucleus by in vitro development. Those results explore the modification of Aqp5 expression levels and location of its final products by in vitro culture. It suggests that expression of Aqp5 and the roles of AQP5 in homeostasis can be modulated by in vitro culture, and that early stage embryos can develop successfully by themselves adapting to their condition through modulation of the specific gene expression and localization.

Previously, we demonstrated that the shift and/or restriction of feeding time during relatively short-term period (4 weeks) could alter the pituitary gonadotropin expression and the weights of seminal vesicle and prostate in rats. We also found that the reverse feeding (RF) schedule (up to 8 weeks) might induce an adaptable metabolic stress and cause impairment of androgen-dependent reproductive tissues. In the present study, we extended the RF time regimen up to 12 weeks, and measured the reproductive tissue weights. After 4 and 8 weeks of RF, the weights of epididymis were not significantly different. After 12 weeks, however, epididymis weights of RF animals were significantly different (CON 12W : RF 12W = $48.26{\pm}0.62mg$ : $44.05{\pm}1.57mg$, p<0.05). After 4 and 12 weeks of feeding, seminal vesicle weights of RF animals were significantly decreased (CON 4W : RF 4W = $79.36{\pm}8.34mg$ : $46.28{\pm}2.43mg$, p<0.001; CON 12W : RF 12W = $72.04{\pm}3.76mg$ : $46.71{\pm}2.27mg$, p<0.001, respectively). Prostate weights were not changed by RF. Kidney and spleen weights of RF animals were significantly different on weeks 4 and 12 (Kidney, CON 4W : RF 4W = $249.72{\pm}4.20mg$ : $228.41{\pm}3.03mg$, p<0.001; CON 12W : RF 12W = $309.15{\pm}7.49mg$ : $250.72{\pm}6.13mg$, p<0.001, respectively, Spleen, CON 4W : RF 4W = $111.26{\pm}3.76mg$ : $96.88{\pm}4.69mg$, p<0.05; CON 12W : RF 12W = $123.93{\pm}10.72mg$ : $94.68{\pm}5.65mg$, p<0.05, respectively). Histology analysis of seminal vesicle revealed that the thinner epithelial cell layers, reduced complexities of swollen papilla folding in the exocrine glands on weeks 4 and 12 of RF. There was no histological difference between control and RF group on week 8. The present study indicates that up to 12 weeks RF induced differential changes in tissue weights of male mice. In particular, seminal vesicle, kidney and spleen seemed to temporarily adapted to the RF-induced metabolic stress on week 8 of feeding schedule. These results confirmed the our previous study that the RF might induce an adaptable metabolic stress and cause impairment of androgen-dependent reproductive tissues such as epididymis and seminal vesicle as well as non-reproductive tissues such as kidney and spleen. Further studies will be needed to achieve a better understanding of the how does mealtime shift affect the reproductive function and exact nature of adaptation.

In the present study, muscle tissues were obtained separately from individuals from Atlantic hairtail population (AHP), Gunsan hairtail population (GHP) and Chinese hairtail population (CHP), respectively. The seven decamer primers were used to generate the shared loci, specific, unique shared loci to each population and shared loci by the three hairtail populations. Here, averagely, a decamer primer generated 64.7 amplified products per primer in the AHP population, 55.7 in GHP population and 56.4 in CHP population. The number of unique shared loci to each population and number of shared loci by the three populations generated by genetic analysis using 7 decamer primers in AHP, GHP and CHP population. 119 unique shared loci to each population, with an average of 17 per primer, were observed in the AHP population, and 28 loci, with an average of 4 per primer, were observed in the CHP population. The hierarchical dendrogram point out three main branches: cluster 1 (ATLANTIC 01 ~ ATLANTIC 07), cluster 2 (GUNSAN 08 ~ GUNSAN 14) and cluster 3 (CHINESE 15 ~ CHINESE 21). The shortest genetic distance displaying significant molecular difference was between individuals' CHINESE no. 16 and CHINESE no. 18 (0.045). In the long run, individual no. 01 of the AHP population was most distantly related to CHINESE no. 19 (genetic distance = 0.430). Consequently, PCR analysis generated on the genetic data displayed that the geographic AHP population was widely separated from CHP population, while individuals of CHP population were fairly closely related to those of GHP population.

In order to monitor the developmental features of embryos, larvae, and juveniles of Oryzias latipes (Temminck and Schlegel), Oryzias latipes was caught in river of Shinduck-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, on May 2011, and experiments were carried out in Ichthyology laboratory at Chonnam National University. The blastodisc step was the first level for natural spawning. The optic vesicle, Kupffer's vesicle, myotome began to appear 75 hours 57 minutes later. After blastodisc development, the pectoral fins were made at 143 hours 37 minutes and the tail was separated started at the same time. Hatching was observed at 167 hours 27 minutes after blastodisc. The total length of the hatched larvae was 4.95~5.10 mm (mean, 5.01 mm), the mouth and anus were opened. Larvae used yolk completely after 3 days after hatching. The total length larvae was 5.45~5.56 mm (mean, 5.52 mm) after 8 days after hatching, and appeared the stems for tail. The stems pectoral, anal fin were showed after 14 days and the stems dorsal, ventral fin were appeared after 19 days. For 35 days after hatching, the total length of larvae 13.95~15.30 mm (mean, 14.64 mm), and at this time, fins and body were transferred like the adult Oryzias latipes.

Characteristics of the developmental stages of spermatids during spermiogenesis and phylogenetic classicfication of the species using sperm ultrastructures in male Crassostrea ariakensis were investigated by transmission electron microscope observations. The morphology of the spermatozoon of this species has a primitive type and is similar to those of Ostreidae. Ultrastructures of mature sperms are composed of broad, modified cap-shaped acrosomal vesicle and an axial rod in subacrosomal materials on an oval nucleus, four spherical mitochondria in the sperm midpiece, and satellite fibres which appear near the distal centriole. The axoneme of the sperm tail shows a 9+2 structure. Accordingly, the ultrastructural characteristics of mature sperm of C. ariakensis resemble to those of other investigated ostreids in Ostreidae in the subclass Pteriomorphia. In this study, particularly, two transverse bands (stripes) appear at the anterior region of the acrosomal vesicle of this species, unlike two or three transverse bands (stripes) in C. gigas. It is assumed that differences in this acrosomal substructure are associated with the inability of fertilization between the genus Crassostrea and other genus species in Ostreidae. Therefore, we can use sperm ultrastructures and morphologies in the resolution of taxonomic relationships within the Ostreidae in the subclass Pteriomorphia. These spermatozoa, which contain several ultrastructures such as acrosomal vesicle, an axial rod in the sperm head part and four mitochondria and satellite fibres in the sperm midpiece, belong to the family Ostreidae in the subclass Pteriomorphia.