Comparative Gene Expression Level of Reproductive Genes Along the Brain-Pituitary-Gonad Axis in the Ripe Female of the Wild and Captive Grey Mullets; Mugil cephalus.

The current research work provided insights into the expression patterns of key genes in the BPG axis of Mugil cephalus females, highlighting differences between wild and captive environments during the spawning season. The investigated genes include Kiss2, Gpr54, Gnrh1, and Drd2 in the brain and ovary, as well as Lhβ, Fshβ, and Slα in the pituitary and ovary. The finding indicated that the relative expression of all examined genes is elevated in mature females compared to immature ones across all examined tissues (brain, pituitary, and ovary). The observation that the expressions of the examined genes in wild females of M. cephalus are highly correlated, either directly or inversely, with their counterparts in captive females, indicated a connection between gene expression patterns and the different environments (wild vs. captive). The results between wild and captive females were in significant values (P≤ 0.05). Overall, the observed correlations and significant differences in gene expression proposed potential impacts of captivity on the reproductive physiology of these fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]