Biosynthesis of estradiol-17β in the ovarian follicles of the red seabream Pagrus major during vitellogenesis

The red seabream Pagrus major is a useful experimental fish for studying the endocrine control of oogenesis in teleosts. This study investigated the steroidogenic pathway for estradiol-17β (E2) biosynthesis in the ovarian follicles of red seabream. Intact follicles were isolated during vitellogenesis and incubated in vitro with different radiolabeled steroid precursors. When 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-P), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), or androstenedione (AD) were used as precursors, both testosterone (T) and estrone (E1) were synthesized by follicles, leading to estradiol-17β (E2) production. Serum steroid levels measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that T, E1, and E2 were present in the circulation at levels ranging from 1 ng/mL to 2 ng/mL throughout the day during the spawning season. In vitro conversion of E1 into E2, however, was 15.8-fold greater than T conversion into E2, suggesting that E2 is synthesized mainly via E1 rather than T. The results showed that E2 was synthesized from pregnenolone via 17-hydroxypregnenolone, DHEA, AD, and E1. Thus, the study demonstrated the complete steroidogenic E2 synthesis pathway in the ovarian follicles of red seabream, and revealed that E1 is the major precursor of E2.