Corticosteroids, the primary circulating vertebrate stress hormones, are known to potentiate the actions of thyroid hormone in amphibian metamorphosis. Environmental modulation of the production of stress hormones may be one way that tadpoles respond to variation in their larval habitat, and thus control the timing of metamorphosis. Thyroid hormone and corticosteroids act through structurally similar nuclear receptors, and interactions at the transcriptional level could lead to regulation of common pathways controlling metamorphosis. To better understand the roles of corticosteroids in amphibian metamorphosis we analyzed the developmental and hormone-dependent expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA in the brain (diencephalon), intestine and tail of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. We compared the expression patterns of GR with expression of thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRbeta). In an effort to determine the relationship between nuclear hormone receptor expression and levels of ligand, we also analyzed changes in whole-body content of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T(3)), thyroxine, and corticosterone (CORT). GR transcripts of 8, 4 and 2 kb were detected in all tadpole tissues, but only the 4 and 2 kb transcripts could be detected in embryos. The level of GR mRNA was low during premetamorphosis in the brain but increased significantly during prometamorphosis, remained at a constant level throughout metamorphosis, and increased to its highest level in the juvenile frog. GR mRNA level in the intestine remained relatively constant, but increased in the tail throughout metamorphosis, reaching a maximum at metamorphic climax. The level of GR mRNA was increased by treatment with CORT in the intestine but not in the brain or tail. TRbeta mRNA level increased in the brain, intestine and tail during metamorphosis and was induced by treatment with T(3). Analysis of possible crossregulatory relationships between GRs and TRs showed that GR mRNA was upregulated by exogenous T(3) (50 nM) in the tail but downregulated in the brain of premetamorphic tadpoles. Exogenous CORT (100 nM) upregulated TRbeta mRNA in the intestine. Our findings provide evidence for tissue-specific positive, negative and crossregulation of nuclear hormone receptors during metamorphosis of X. laevis. The synergy of CORT with T(3) on tadpole tail resorption may depend on the accelerated accumulation of GR transcripts in this tissue during metamorphosis, which may be driven by rising plasma thyroid hormone titers.

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