Evolution des systèmes GnRH et de leurs neuropeptides régulateurs dans les contrôles endocrine et paracrine de la spermatogenèse chez la roussette, Scyliorhinus canicula

The objective of this project is to identify peptides involved in the regulation of spermatogenesis in a shark, the small dogfish. The program envisaged is the identification of the sequences of peptide precursors regulating the GnRH system (GnRHs, GnIH, Kisspeptin/Neurokinin/Dynorphin) from available genomic data and the study of their biological activities on pituitary and testicular cultures. The study of the testicular paracrine function of these peptides constitutes an emerging theme in the understanding of the influence of environmental factors on reproductive functions.

This project, by targeting a chondrichthyan, will allow us to place the results in an evolutionary scheme of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal system of the Gnathosomes and to improve our knowledge on the reproduction of Elasmobranchs, a group with a high conservation concern.