The satiety hormone cholecystokinin gates reproduction in fish by controlling gonadotropin secretion.

A study published in eLife examines the impact of the satiety hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) on regulating reproduction in fish by influencing gonadotropin secretion. The research indicates that CCK plays a direct role in activating FSH cells, leading to ovarian development, while disruptions in CCK signaling can result in male fish having underdeveloped testes and infertility. The study highlights the significance of CCK as a key regulator of the reproductive axis in fish, connecting metabolic status to reproduction, and offers insights into the evolution and function of the reproductive axis in oviparous animals, with potential implications for aquaculture and fish production. The research, conducted by Hollander-Cohen et al. (2024), utilized transgenic zebrafish and advanced imaging techniques to investigate the regulation of gonadotropins and hormone secretion, providing valuable information on the complex neuroendocrine interactions that govern reproductive processes in fish. The study was carried out ethically and received support from various funding sources. [Extracted from the article]