Figure 3.

EE₂ promotes an estrogenic response and modulates the expression of genes coding for hormone receptors. Specimens at both pre-SG and SG stages were treated with 0 and 5 µg EE₂/g food during 7 and 28 days. Afterwards, the mRNA levels of vtg were determined in the liver (a) and the mRNA levels of dmrt1 (b); era (c); fshr (d) and lhr (e) in the gonad by real-time RT-PCR. Total RNA was obtained after pooling the same amount of mRNA from five to six fish/group. Data represent means ± SEM of triplicates of the same pooled sample. The asterisks denote statistically significant differences after Student t test between: (i) the untreated control group and the EE₂ treated group at each time point and spermatogenic condition and (ii) the untreated control groups of the two spermatogenic conditions within the same sampling date. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01 and *** p < 0.001. ns, not significant.