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Chen F, Wang Y, He J, Smith C, Xue G, Zhao Y, Peng Y, Zhang J, Liu J, Chen J, Xie P. Alternative signal pathways underly fertilization and egg activation in a fish with contrasting modes of spawning. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:167. [PMID: 37016278 PMCID: PMC10074663 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09244-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The processes of fertilization and egg activation are vital for early embryogenesis. However, while the mechanisms associated with key events during these processes differ among species and modes of spawning, the signal pathways underlying these processes are opaque for many fishes, including economically important species. RESULTS We investigated phenotypic traits, ultrastructure and protein expression levels in the eggs of the topmouth culter (Culter alburnus), a protected and economically important freshwater fish that exhibits two spawning modes, producing semi-buoyant eggs and adhesive eggs. Unfertilized eggs of C. alburnus were examined, as well as eggs at fertilization and 30 min post fertilization. Our results showed that in semi-buoyant eggs, energy metabolism was activated at fertilization, followed by elevated protein expression of cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interactions that resulted in rapid egg swelling; a recognized adaptation for lotic habitats. In contrast, in adhesive eggs fertilization initiated the process of sperm-egg fusion and blocking of polyspermy, followed by enhanced protein expression of lipid metabolism and the formation of egg envelope adhesion and hardening, which are adaptive in lentic habitats. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that alternative signal pathways differ between modes of spawning and timing during the key processes of fertilization and egg activation, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in adaptive early embryonic development in teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Yeke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Carl Smith
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ge Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yanghui Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ping Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430072, Wuhan, China.
- Institute of Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environment, Yunnan University, 650500, Kunming, China.
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Ren F, Zhou Q, Meng Y, Guo W, Tang Q, Mei J. RNA binding proteins are potential novel biomarkers of egg quality in yellow catfish. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:121. [PMID: 36927412 PMCID: PMC10018890 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09220-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Egg quality is a major concern in fish reproduction and development. An effective evaluation of egg quality prior to fertilization is helpful in improving the fertilization rate and survival rate of the larva. In this study, we aim to identify quality instructors from the combination study of fertilization rate, hatching rate, embryo malformation rate and gene expression profile. RESULTS Eggs from 25 female fish were fertilized with sperm from the same fish. The egg quality was determined by the fertilization rates, hatching rate and embryo malformation rate and divided into three categories, low-quality (< 35%), medium-quality (35 to 75%), and high-quality (> 75%). Due to the distinct difference in fertilization, hatching and embryo malformation rate between low-quality eggs and high-quality eggs, these two groups were considered for the identification of quality markers. Then RNA-seq was performed for the originally preserved eggs from the low-quality group and high-quality group. We profiled the differentially expressed genes and identified a group of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) as potential regulators. Gene function analysis indicated that most of these genes were enriched in RNA-regulated pathways including RNA processing. The RBPs were more related to egg quality from the PLS-DA analysis. Finally, gene expression was validated by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS We found a cluster of RBP genes including igf2bp3, zar1, elavl1, rbm25b and related regulatory factors including yy1, sirt1, anp32e, btg4 as novel biomarkers of egg quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Ren
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Quan Zhou
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yinglu Meng
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenjie Guo
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qin Tang
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Jie Mei
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. .,Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Li R, Song W, Qu J, Liu H, Qi J, He Y, Niu J. Transcriptome sequencing reveals ovarian immune response and development during female sperm storage in viviparous black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2023; 45:101050. [PMID: 36525779 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.101050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) is a viviparous teleost fish whose spermatozoa were transferred into the female ovary cavity and stored for up to five months and then fertilized with the matured eggs. There is no clarity about the molecular characteristics of ovarian follicles during female sperm storage in Sebastes schlegelii. In this study, histological observation, transcriptomic analysis and hormone level detection were performed in ovaries at stages of pre-mating (PRM), post-mating (POM) and pre-fertilization (PRF). Histological observation displayed that oocytes developed from the primary growth (PG) stage to the mature stage during the three stages. Furthermore, somatic cells around the oocyte were proliferated and spermatozoa were found near the layer of epithelial cells. Transcriptomic analysis showed that there were 437 and 747 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ovarian comparison of PRM-vs-POM and POM-vs-PRF, respectively. GO enrichment and KEGG analysis revealed that lots of DEGs from PRM-vs-POM were linked to immune-related pathways, such as antigen processing and presentation, immune response, and complement and coagulation cascade. Meanwhile, seven DEGs associated with immune response were differentially expressed after spermatozoa treatment in ovarian tissue in vitro. While the DEGs from POM-vs-PRF were mostly enriched in the pathways related to homeostasis maintenance and cellular junction and metabolism. In addition, we found increased estrogen (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) level and decreased testosterone level in ovarian follicles during the sperm storage period by ELISA, suggesting that sex hormones are involved in the dynamic change of ovarian follicles. In total, this study could provide new hints for understanding the immune adaption and developmental signatures of ovarian follicles post copulation in black rockfish and other viviparous fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Weihao Song
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jiangbo Qu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Huaxiang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jie Qi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Yan He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Jingjing Niu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Wang X, Zhao N, Wang T, Du S, Liu Q, Li J. Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into Copulation, Fertilization, and Gestation in Sebastes schlegelii. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101812. [PMID: 36292697 PMCID: PMC9601582 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the viviparous marine teleosts of China, the black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii Hilgendorf) is one of the most economically important. In addition to copulation and internal fertilization, it features lengthy sperm storage in the female ovary as well as a high rate of abortion. A network of gene regulation is necessary for these processes. To elucidate the mechanisms of copulation, fertilization, and gestation, it is essential to determine the genetic basis of viviparous teleost oogenesis and embryogenesis. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of the ovary during different developmental phases to investigate the dynamic changes that occur. We constructed 24 ovary transcriptomes. In order to investigate the regulation of embryogenesis, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with specific expression patterns were subjected to gene ontology annotation, pathway analyses, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The up-regulated genes were significantly enriched in focal adhesion, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, Wnt, and ECM-receptor interaction signaling pathways. As a result of our study, we provide omics evidence for copulation, fertilization, and gestation in viviparous marine teleosts. Decoding the S. schlegelii gene regulation network, as well as providing new insights into embryogenesis, is highly valuable to researchers in the marine teleost reproduction sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Wang
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Ning Zhao
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tao Wang
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
- Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Shuran Du
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
- Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jun Li
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +86-532-82898718
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Trade-off between mate choice speed and decision accuracy under mating competition in female sand gobies. J ETHOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-020-00673-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractVariation in female mating performance can affect the direction and rate of evolution through sexual selection. The social environment determines the availability of mates and the competitive situation, and hence can influence mating strategies. However, these effects have to be considered within time constraints. Here we show that female sand gobies exposed to same-sex competitors (female-biased adult sex ratio, ASR) for a week before having physical access to males (i.e., a delayed male access; referred as prior exposure treatment) were more actively associated with the preferred male and took faster spawning decisions. However, these females mated more frequently with males with traits that did not ensure high egg survival. On the other extreme, females exposed to low same sex competition (male-biased ASR) simultaneously to the mate choice (i.e., an immediate access to males; referred as simultaneous exposure treatment) took more time to make their spawning decision. They also associated and spawned more often with males with good parental skills (i.e., males exhibiting more egg fanning behaviour). These male traits are associated with higher survival and better development of eggs. Our results provide experimental support for a trade-off between mate choice accuracy and speed, which depended on mating competition.
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