Aromatase pathway mediates sex change in each direction

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Vol. 272; no. 1570; pp. 1399 - 1405
• Main Authors: Kroon, Frederieke J, Munday, Philip L, Westcott, David A, Hobbs, Jean-Paul A, Liley, N. Robin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London The Royal Society 07.07.2005
• Subjects: Animals; Aromatase; Aromatase - metabolism; Aromatase inhibitors; Coral Goby; Drug Implants; Estradiol - administration & dosage; Estradiol - metabolism; Estradiol - pharmacology; Fish; Germ cells; Gobiodon; Gonads; Gonads - drug effects; Hermaphroditic Organisms; Histological Techniques; Oestradiol; Oocytes; Pacific Ocean; Perciformes - physiology; Protein isoforms; Sex Change; Sex determination; Sex Determination Processes - metabolism; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Single status; Spermatocytes; Spermatozoa; Pacific Ocean
• ISSN: 0962-8452; 1471-2954
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3097

The enzyme aromatase controls the androgen/oestrogen ratio by catalysing the irreversible conversion of testosterone into oestradiol (E2). Therefore, the regulation of E2 synthesis by aromatase is thought to be critical in sexual development and differentiation. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that experimental manipulation of E2 levels via the aromatase pathway induces adult sex change in each direction in a hermaphroditic fish that naturally exhibits bidirectional sex change. Our results demonstrate that a single enzymatic pathway can regulate both female and male sexual differentiation, and that aromatase may be the key enzyme that transduces environmental, including social, cues to functional sex differentiation in species with environmental sex determination.