芳香化酶活性发现在脊椎动物脑、脑垂体和性腺中 ,但在文昌鱼脑和哈氏窝的组织特异性定位尚无可利用资料。本文用免疫细胞化学和原位杂交技术 ,首次发现芳香化酶活性组织特异性定位在幼年和性腺发育不同时期雌、雄文昌鱼神经系统 (脑和脊髓 )、轮器、哈氏窝和性腺中。芳香化酶蛋白和转录物在前脑、中脑、脊髓、轮器和哈氏窝十分丰富 ,而后脑、早期卵巢和精巢不够丰富 ;没有芳香化酶表达的部位是哈氏窝另两种细胞 (不规则形细胞和带纤毛粘液细胞 )以及成熟卵巢和精巢 ;芳香化酶免疫活性物质分布在胞质 ,核为阴性。芳香化酶在文昌鱼神经系统、哈氏窝和性腺的分布模式与低等脊椎动物中的分布模式极为类似 ,尤其是芳香化酶在脑内调节哈氏窝分泌活动的神经内分泌中枢表达 ,并形成类似脊椎动物的文昌鱼原始的脑 -芳香化酶调节系统。这些结果有力地证明 ,文昌鱼脑和哈氏窝高水平的芳香化酶活性像在其它脊椎动物中一样 ,对局部介导睾酮芳香化起着关键作用 ,同时还可能影响脑 -芳香化酶系统参与调节哈氏窝的分泌活动 Aromatase activity was found in vertebrate brain, pituitary gland and gonad, but there was no data available for tissue-specific localization in amphioxus brain and Hastelloy. In this study, immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization were used to detect the activity of aromatase in the tissue of nervous system (brain and spinal cord), wheal, Hatschek’s gonads and gonads in different stages of juvenile and gonadal development . Aromatase proteins and transcripts are abundant in the forebrain, midbrain, spinal cord, shunts and Hatschek’s nest, while the hindbrain, early ovarian and testes are not rich enough; the aromatase-less sites are Hash cells and the other two cells (Irregular cells and ciliated mucilaginous cells) as well as mature ovaries and testis; aromatase immunoreactive substances distributed in the cytoplasm, the nucleus was negative. The distribution pattern of aromatase in the nervous system, Hatschek’s nest and gonads of amphioxus is very similar to that of lower vertebrates. In particular, aromatase regulates neuroendocrine center expression in Hamster littoral secretion in brain A vertebrate-like amphioxus primitive brain-aromatase regulatory system is formed. These results strongly suggest that the high level of aromatase activity in amphioxus brain and Hastellock, like in other vertebrates, plays a key role in locally mediating the aromatization of testosterone and may also affect the brain-aromatase system Hamster nest involved in the regulation of secretory activity