In vitro studies on steroid metabolism by gonadal tissues from ambisexual teleosts. II. Conversion of [14C]androstenedione by the heterologous gonadal tissues of the protandric sea bream Pagellus acarne (Risso).

The heterologous gonadal tissues of the protandric sea bream Pagellus acarne were incubated with [14C]androstenedione in vitro. The tissues were taken from two males, an inverting specimen, and a female in early April. Although the testicular tissue regresses in the inverting fish the rate of 11 beta-hydroxylation in the male part of the gonad is at least as high as in the homologous portion of the "pure" male. No difference was found in the enzymatic pattern between the ovarian part of the inverting animal and that of the female. There is, however, a striking distinction in the metabolic activities of the pooled ovarian parts from two males and the homologous tissues from the inverting and female animals. They concern mainly the activities of 11 beta-hydroxylase and 17 beta-HSD. Moreover, ring A-reduction and the ratio of 5 alpha/5 beta-reduced metabolites differ considerably from the corresponding gonadal tissues taken from the inverting and the female specimen. The possible physiological meaning of these findings remains to be elucidated.