Hormonally Active Agents: A Menace for Oogenesis and Fertility in Teleosts

Oogenesis, an amalgamation of the balanced network of neuroendocrine, endocrine, and autocrine/paracrine factors, is inevitable for the production of fertilizable female gamete and sustenance of a progeny on earth. In today’s up-to-the-minute world, aquatic organisms are exposed to a myriad of environmental anthropogenic contaminants that share structural similarity with natural hormones, putting fish fertility and aquaculture industries at stake. A subset of such endocrine disruptors is the “xenoestrogens” that carry the ability to mimic 17β-estradiol, a natural female hormone, leading to adverse outcomes such as early puberty, premature ovarian failure, and impaired fertility. The present review seeks to elucidate the voyage of a fish oocyte undertaking the endocrine as well as autocrine/paracrine inputs. The effects of EDCs on various ovarian processes have been summarized along with the diverse signaling cascades that might participate to induce significant alterations at the receptor level, steroidogenic potential, maturational competence, ovulatory response, or even epigenetics of the ovary. Since reproduction heavily relies on the metabolic state of an organism, the potential influence of endocrine disruptors on oxidative stress and energy homeostasis has also been taken into consideration.