Endocrine Abstracts

Steroid hormones are important regulators of many physiological processes. The steroid precursor pregnenolone is converted through several enzymatic steps into all types of steroids, including the stress hormone cortisol. Mitochondrial steroidogenic cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes crucially relying on electron transfer from the redox partner ferredoxin (FDX1) are involved in key steps of the cortisol biosynthesis pathway.Cortisol is well-known regulator of...

Due to its rapid development and high fecundity, the zebrafish is a standard model in developmental biology and genetics. Furthermore, key hormone systems present in mammals are already active in zebrafish larvae. The endocrine system and the circadian clock are closely linked, and also the circadian system of zebrafish matures early in development. The small size of zebrafish larvae makes them particularly suitable for chemical screens in vivo: Larvae can be kept for...