BACKGROUND Epidermal ionocytes play essential roles in the transepithelial transportation of ions, water, and acid-base balance in fish embryos before their branchial counterparts are fully functional. However, the mechanism controlling epidermal ionocyte specification and differentiation remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In zebrafish, we demonstrated that Delta-Notch-mediated l...

Cortisol is the major endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) both in human and fish, mediated by corticosteroid receptors. Due to the absence of aldosterone production in teleost fish, cortisol is also traditionally accepted to function as mineralocorticoid (MC); but whether it acts through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) or the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) remains a subject of debate. Here, we use...

Fish, like mammals, have to maintain their body fluid ionic and osmotic homeostasis through sophisticated iono-/osmoregulation mechanisms, which are conducted mainly by ionocytes of the gill (the skin in embryonic stages), instead of the renal tubular cells in mammals. Given the advantages in terms of genetic database availability and manipulation, zebrafish is an emerging model for research in...

The structure, ultrastructure and osmoregulatory function of the branchial chamber were investigated in Palaemon elegans (Rathke, 1837) by light microscope, electron microscope and immunohistochemistry methods, respectively. Each chamber possesses a branchiostegite, 3 epipodites and 8 phyllobranchiate gills. The lamellae are attached along the two outer surfaces of the triangular gill axis. Ult...

Expression profiles of claudin-6, -10d and -10e in the euryhaline teleost fish Tetraodon nigroviridis revealed claudin-6 in brain, eye, gill and skin tissue, while claudin-10d and -10e were found in brain, gill and skin only. In fishes, the gill and skin are important tissue barriers that interface directly with surrounding water, but these organs generally function differently in osmoregulatio...

The constraints of an active life in a pelagic habitat led to numerous convergent morphological and physiological adaptations that enable cephalopod molluscs and teleost fishes to compete for similar resources. Here, we show for the first time that such convergent developments are also found in the ontogenetic progression of ion regulatory tissues; as in teleost fish, epidermal ionocytes scatte...

The milkfish, Chanos chanos , is an important aquaculture species that can be cultured in freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW) ponds because of its high euryhalinity. In winter, cold snap leading to mortality this tropical a critical issue for the industry Taiwan. Under hypothermal stress, however, changes energy supply osmoregulation euryhaline intriguing. study, we used antibody against glycogen...