Figure 2.

Steroidogenesis in the brain of fish and mammals. (A) Steroidogenesis in the brain of adult fish. The blue cell corresponds to a radial glia cell acting as neural stem cell, while the green cell corresponds to a neuron. Data obtained by in situ hybridization, RNA sequencing and/or proteomics show neuronal and radial glial expression of steroidogenic enzymes involved in the synthesis of 17OH-Pregnenolone (17OH-P), Progesterone (P), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Androstenedione (Andro), Estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (17β-E2, called here E2), testosterone (T) and dihydro-testosterone (DHT), cortisol and THDOC (tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone). (B) Steroidogenesis in the brain of rat. The purple cell corresponds to an oligodendrocyte that participates in the myelin sheath genesis of axons; the green cell is an astrocyte and the yellow one is a neuron whose axon is myelinated by the oligodendrocyte. This schematic view adapted from Zwain and Yen (1999) highlights potential interaction of oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and neurons in neurosteroidogenesis. The main steroidogenic pathway is shown by black arrows, the minor ones by red arrows and the suggested ones by blue arrows referring to the work of Zwain and Yen (1999). Note that arrows do not necessarily document the direct conversion of the one steroid into another, but can include several enzymatic processes.