Differential regulation of TRPV4 mRNA levels by acclimation salinity and extracellular osmolality in euryhaline tilapia

Prolactin (PRL) cells of the euryhaline Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, are osmoreceptors. Hyposmotically-induced PRL release is mediated by the inward movement of extracellular Ca2+ through a stretch-activated Ca2+ channel, which has been recently identified as the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). In the present study, changes in plasma PRL, as well as PRL and TRPV4 mRNA expression from the rostral pars distalis (RPD), were measured in fish transferred from seawater (SW) to fresh water (FW) and in fish transferred from FW to SW. The in vitro effects of osmolality on PRL release and on PRL and TRPV4 mRNA expression in dispersed PRL cells were compared between fish adapted to SW and FW. Both the release and expression of PRL fell when fish were transferred to SW and rose when fish were transferred to FW. By contrast, TRPV4 expression increased by 48 h after fish were transferred from FW to SW and declined as early as 6 h after transfer from SW to FW. A similar pattern was observed in vitro where TRPV4 expression responded positively to an increase in medium osmolality while PRL expression declined. Incubation with the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, IBMX, stimulated PRL release. While both IBMX and A23187 inhibited TRPV4 expression, only A23187 reduced PRL expression. Together, these findings indicate that the expression of TRPV4 mRNA is osmosensitive, increasing as extracellular osmolality rises. Furthermore, these data suggest that TRPV4 expression may be regulated through the same second messenger pathways involved in hyposmotically-induced PRL release.

► The effects of osmolality on TRPV4 expression in tilapia PRL cells was tested. ► TRPV4 expression increases after fish are transferred from FW to SW in vivo. ► TRPV4 expression is increased in response to increases in osmolality in vitro. ► A23187 and IBMX increase PRL release and decrease TRPV4 gene expression. ► TRPV4 is osmosensitive and regulated by 2nd messengers involved in PRL release.