Final Activity Report Summary - GNRH SYSTEMS IN COD (Characterization of GnRH systems in Atlantic cod: cloning, brain distribution, and mechanisms of action)
This molecular characterisation provides the molecular basis for our long-term research programme: development of specific riboprobes for in situ hybridisation experiments to investigate the cellular distribution of the cloned genes, development of specific primers for quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays, to monitor quantitatively the gene expression during pubertal development and following treatment with sexual steroids and manipulation of photoperiod.
The impact of the identified GnRH ligands on gonadotropes in cod will also be investigated using electrophysiological (patch-clamp) techniques. Together, these investigations will contribute to a better understanding of pubertal development in teleost fish, and the Atlantic cod in particular.