Thyroid hormones down-regulate thyrotropin β subunit and thyroglobulin during metamorphosis in the flatfish Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup)

Thyroid hormones (TH) play a critical role in flatfish metamorphosis. Their levels are regulated by the pituitary–thyroid axis. The expression profile of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) β subunit and thyroglobulin (Tg) was investigated using a real-time PCR approach. Both genes exhibited different expression patterns during larval development in Senegalese sole. TSH β mRNAs reduced progressively at the commencement of metamorphosis. On the contrary, Tg transcripts increased sharply at the onset of metamorphosis and dropped after the metamorphosis climax. T4 levels, as determined by radioimmunoassay, clearly resembled the Tg expression profile with a peak at the metamorphosis climax. To investigate if such expression profiles were regulated by TH, premetamorphic larvae were exposed to the goitrogen thiourea (TU). TU-treated larvae were not able to complete metamorphosis. However, the addition of exogenous T4 enabled to revert this effect. Expression analysis showed higher mRNA levels of both TSH β and Tg in TU-treated larvae in comparison to control larvae. Moreover, the TU + T4 treated larvae exhibited similar or lower mRNA levels than in the control. Present results demonstrate that TH mediate metamorphosis and down-regulate TSH β and Tg at transcriptional level in Senegalese sole.