The luteinizing hormone surge is essential for fertility as it triggers ovulation in females and sperm release in males. We previously reported that secretoneurin-a, a neuropeptide derived from the processing of secretogranin-2a (Scg2a), stimulates luteinizing hormone release, suggesting a role in reproduction. Here we provide evidence that mutation of thescg2aandscg2bgenes using TALENs in zebrafish reduces sexual behavior, ovulation, oviposition, and fertility. Large-scale spawning within-line crossings (n= 82 to 101) were conducted. Wild-type (WT) males paired with WT females successfully spawned in 62% of the breeding trials. Spawning success was reduced to 37% (P= 0.006), 44% (P= 0.0169), and 6% (P< 0.0001) forscg2a−/−,scg2b−/−, andscg2a−/−;scg2b−/−mutants, respectively. Comprehensive video analysis indicates thatscg2a−/−;scg2b−/−mutation reduces all male courtship behaviors. Spawning success was 47% in saline-injected WT controls compared to 11% in saline-injectedscg2a−/−;scg2b−/−double mutants. For these mutants, spawning success increased 3-fold following a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of synthetic secretoneurin-a (P= 0.0403) and increased 3.5-fold with injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Embryonic survival at 24 h remained on average lower inscg2a−/−;scg2b−/−fish compared to WT injected with secretoneurin-a (P< 0.001). Significant reductions in the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone 3 in the hypothalamus, and luteinizing hormone beta and glycoprotein alpha subunits in the pituitary provide evidence for disrupted hypothalamo-pituitary function inscg2aandscg2bmutant fish. Our results indicate that secretogranin-2 is required for optimal reproductive function and support the hypothesis that secretoneurin is a reproductive hormone.

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A composite of graphene sheets decorated with molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) nanobelts has been fabricated via a facile and efficient hydrothermal route in the presence of NaCl. The structure, morphology of these promising composites were investigated by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. FESEM and TEM studies suggest the presence of uniform crystalline MoO 3 nanobelts and graphene sheets in as-prepared hybrid materials. XRD and Raman results confirm the reduction of graphite oxide (GO) sheets to graphene sheets accompanying by the formation of MoO 3 nanobelts. Moreover, thermal properties of GO and MoO 3 nanobelt-graphene composites reveal that thermal stability of the obtained MoO 3 nanobelt-graphene composites is obviously higher than that of GO due to the transformation of GO sheets to highly stable graphene sheets in the hybrids. This work could provide new insights into the fabrication of high quality MoO 3 -graphene hybrid nanomaterials and facilitate their potential applications in different fields.

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The antidepressant fluoxetine (FLX), generally the first line of pharmacological treatment in adolescents and pregnant women with affective disorders, is an emerging endocrine disruptor that is also released to the environment through sewage. Recently, we demonstrated that FLX exposure during the first 6 days of life in zebrafish (ZF; Danio rerio) induced a male-specific reduction in the exploratory behavior in the adult ZF that was linked to a reduction in cortisol production that persisted across three generations. Here we investigated sex differences in the behavioral and stress responses following FLX (0.54 and 54 μg⋅L–1) exposure during two periods of sexual development in ZF; early (0–15 days post-fertilization, dpf) and late (15–42 dpf). Our findings revealed that the stress response in females was reduced compared to that of males independent of the treatment. We also found that FLX reduced total body cortisol levels in the adult ZF regardless of sex and window of exposure. The hypocortisol phenotype of our FLX-treated fish was associated with behavioral alterations in the adult fish, which depended on the window of exposure; males were more sensitive to FLX during early development whereas females were affected during late development. A sexually dimorphic behavioral response induced by the low cortisol phenotype was observed in the FLX-treated ZF; females had higher exploratory activity whereas the males had reduced behavior. In conclusion, FLX results in sex- and window of exposure-specific effects on the behavioral activities in adult ZF. These findings highlight the importance of sex differences and timing on the long-term effects of antidepressant treatments. Knowledge of the sex-specific effects of antidepressants and the importance of early life exposure to chemical stressors may help us understand the impact of highly prescribed drugs such as FLX on the fetus from FLX-treated pregnant women as well as aquatic species in environments receiving sewage effluents.