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Liu Q, Duan L, Li B, Zhang X, Liu F, Yu J, Shu Y, Hu F, Lin J, Xiong X, Liu S. The key role of myostatin b in somatic growth in fishes derived from distant hybridization. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024:10.1007/s11427-023-2487-8. [PMID: 38561484 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The basic mechanism of heterosis has not been systematically and completely characterized. In previous studies, we obtained three economically important fishes that exhibit rapid growth, WR (WCC ♀ × RCC ♂), WR-II (WR ♀ × WCC ♂), and WR-III (WR-II ♀ × 4nAU ♂), through distant hybridization. However, the mechanism underlying this rapid growth remains unclear. In this study, we found that WR, WR-II, and WR-III showed muscle hypertrophy and higher muscle protein and fat contents compared with their parent species (RCC and WCC). Candidate genes responsible for this rapid growth were then obtained through an analysis of 12 muscle transcriptomes. Notably, the mRNA level of mstnb (myostatin b), which is a negative regulator of myogenesis, was significantly reduced in WR, WR-II, and WR-III compared with the parent species. To verify the function of mstnb, a mstnb-deficient mutant RCC line was generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique. The average body weight of mstnb-deficient RCC at 12 months of age was significantly increased by 29.57% compared with that in wild-type siblings. Moreover, the area and number of muscle fibers were significantly increased in mstnb-deficient RCC, indicating hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Furthermore, the muscle protein and fat contents were significantly increased in mstnb-deficient RCC. The molecular regulatory mechanism of mstnb was then revealed by transcription profiling, which showed that genes related to myogenesis (myod, myog, and myf5), protein synthesis (PI3K-AKT-mTOR), and lipogenesis (pparγ and fabp3) were highly activated in hybrid fishes and mstnb-deficient RCC. This study revealed that low expression or deficiency of mstnb regulates somatic growth by promoting myogenesis, protein synthesis, and lipogenesis in hybrid fishes and mstnb-deficient RCC, which provides evidence for the molecular mechanism of heterosis via distant hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Lujiao Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Bei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xuanyi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Fanglei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Jianming Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Yuqin Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Fangzhou Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Jingjing Lin
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xiaoxia Xiong
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Shaojun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China.
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Cao L, Chen P, Hou X, Ma J, Yang N, Lu Y, Huang H. rDNA and mtDNA analysis for the identification of genetic characters in the hybrid grouper derived from hybridization of Cromileptes altivelis (female) × Epinephelus lanceolatus (male). BMC Genom Data 2024; 25:5. [PMID: 38216865 PMCID: PMC10787421 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-023-01188-5] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hybridization is a useful strategy to produce offspring with more desirable phenotypic characteristics than those of parents. The hybrid grouper derived from the cross of Cromileptes altivelis (♀, 2n = 48) with Epinephelus lanceolatus (♂, 2n = 48) exhibits improved growth compared with its female parent, which makes it valuable to aquaculture. However, the genetic traits of the hybrid grouper are poorly understood. RESULTS The observations showed that the hybrid grouper was diploid (2n = 48) and displayed intermediate morphology with the parent's measurable characteristics. The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) were characterized at molecular and phylogenetic level. High similarity and low genetic distance of 5S rDNA and mtDNA sequences between the hybrid grouper and C. altivelis showed that the hybrid grouper had a closer genetic relationship with female parents. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree based on COI gene and D-loop region of mtDNA recovered that mtDNA was maternally inherited in the hybrid grouper. Additionally, the DNA methylation level of 5S rDNA intergenic spacers (IGS) sequence was tested in here. The results showed that the DNA methylation status of the hybrid grouper was significantly lower than that of C. altivelis. CONCLUSION Results of this study provide important data on the genetic characteristics of the hybrid derived from the cross of C. altivelis and E. lanceolatus, and contribute the knowledge of both evolution and marine fish breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Cao
- Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Sanya, 572022, China
- Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources of Ministry of Education, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Pan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources of Ministry of Education, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Xingrong Hou
- Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Sanya, 572022, China
- Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources of Ministry of Education, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Sanya, 572022, China
- Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources of Ministry of Education, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Sanya, 572022, China
- Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources of Ministry of Education, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya, 572022, China
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China
| | - Hai Huang
- Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Sanya, 572022, China.
- Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources of Ministry of Education, Sanya, 572022, China.
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya, 572022, China.
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, 572022, China.
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Venney CJ, Cayuela H, Rougeux C, Laporte M, Mérot C, Normandeau E, Leitwein M, Dorant Y, Præbel K, Kenchington E, Clément M, Sirois P, Bernatchez L. Genome-wide DNA methylation predicts environmentally driven life history variation in a marine fish. Evolution 2023; 77:186-198. [PMID: 36622671 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications are thought to be one of the molecular mechanisms involved in plastic adaptive responses to environmental variation. However, studies reporting associations between genome-wide epigenetic changes and habitat-specific variations in life history traits (e.g., lifespan, reproduction) are still scarce, likely due to the recent application of methylome resequencing methods to non-model species. In this study, we examined associations between whole genome DNA methylation and environmentally driven life history variation in 2 lineages of a marine fish, the capelin (Mallotus villosus), from North America and Europe. In both lineages, capelin harbor 2 contrasting life history tactics (demersal vs. beach-spawning). Performing whole genome and methylome sequencing, we showed that life history tactics are associated with epigenetic changes in both lineages, though the effect was stronger in European capelin. Genetic differentiation between the capelin harboring different life history tactics was negligible, but we found genome-wide methylation changes in both lineages. We identified 9,125 European and 199 North American differentially methylated regions (DMRs) due to life history. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis for both lineages revealed an excess of terms related to neural function. Our results suggest that environmental variation causes important epigenetic changes that are associated with contrasting life history tactics in lineages with divergent genetic backgrounds, with variable importance of genetic variation in driving epigenetic variation. Our study emphasizes the potential role of genome-wide epigenetic variation in adaptation to environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare J Venney
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Hugo Cayuela
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Clément Rougeux
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Martin Laporte
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Claire Mérot
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Eric Normandeau
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Maëva Leitwein
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Yann Dorant
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Kim Præbel
- Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ellen Kenchington
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - Marie Clément
- Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.,Labrador Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, Canada
| | - Pascal Sirois
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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Liu Z, Zhou T, Gao D. Genetic and epigenetic regulation of growth, reproduction, disease resistance and stress responses in aquaculture. Front Genet 2022; 13:994471. [PMID: 36406125 PMCID: PMC9666392 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.994471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major progress has been made with genomic and genetic studies in aquaculture in the last decade. However, research on epigenetic regulation of aquaculture traits is still at an early stage. It is apparent that most, if not all, aquaculture traits are regulated at both genetic and epigenetic levels. This paper reviews recent progress in understanding of genetic and epigenetic regulation of important aquaculture traits such as growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and stress responses. Although it is challenging to make generalized statements, DNA methylation is mostly correlated with down-regulation of gene expression, especially when at promoters and enhancers. As such, methylation of growth factors and their receptors is negatively correlated with growth; hypomethylation of genes important for stress tolerance is correlated with increased stress tolerance; hypomethylation of genes important for male or female sex differentiation leads to sex differentiation into males or females, respectively. It is apparent that environmental regulation of aquaculture traits is mediated at the level of epigenetic regulation, and such environment-induced epigenetic changes appeared to be intergenerationally inherited, but evidences for transgenerational inheritance are still limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanjiang Liu
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Zhanjiang Liu,
| | - Tao Zhou
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding of Marine Organisms, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Dongya Gao
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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Berbel-Filho WM, Pacheco G, Lira MG, Garcia de Leaniz C, Lima SMQ, Rodríguez-López CM, Zhou J, Consuegra S. Additive and non-additive epigenetic signatures of natural hybridisation between fish species with different mating systems. Epigenetics 2022; 17:2356-2365. [PMID: 36082413 PMCID: PMC9665120 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2123014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridization is a major source of evolutionary innovation. In plants, epigenetic mechanisms can help to stabilize hybrid genomes and contribute to reproductive isolation, but the relationship between genetic and epigenetic changes in animal hybrids is unclear. We analysed the relationship between genetic background and methylation patterns in natural hybrids of two genetically divergent fish species with different mating systems, Kryptolebias hermaphroditus (self-fertilizing) and K. ocellatus (outcrossing). Co-existing parental species displayed highly distinct genetic (SNPs) and methylation patterns (37,000 differentially methylated cytosines). Hybrids had predominantly intermediate methylation patterns (88.5% of the sites) suggesting additive effects, as expected from hybridization between genetically distant species. The large number of differentially methylated cytosines between hybrids and parental species (n = 5,800) suggests that hybridization may play a role in increasing genetic and epigenetic variation. Although most of the observed epigenetic variation was additive and had a strong genetic component, we also found a small percentage of non-additive, potentially stochastic, methylation differences that might act as an evolutionary bet-hedging strategy and increase fitness under environmental instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waldir M Berbel-Filho
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - George Pacheco
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, The Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mateus G Lira
- Laboratório de Ictiologia Sistemática e Evolutiva, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Natal, Brazil
| | - Carlos Garcia de Leaniz
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Sergio M Q Lima
- Laboratório de Ictiologia Sistemática e Evolutiva, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Natal, Brazil
| | - Carlos M Rodríguez-López
- Environmental Epigenetics and Genetics Group, Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sofia Consuegra
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Anastasiadi D, Venney CJ, Bernatchez L, Wellenreuther M. Epigenetic inheritance and reproductive mode in plants and animals. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:1124-1140. [PMID: 34489118 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance is another piece of the puzzle of nongenetic inheritance, although the prevalence, sources, persistence, and phenotypic consequences of heritable epigenetic marks across taxa remain unclear. We systematically reviewed over 500 studies from the past 5 years to identify trends in the frequency of epigenetic inheritance due to differences in reproductive mode and germline development. Genetic, intrinsic (e.g., disease), and extrinsic (e.g., environmental) factors were identified as sources of epigenetic inheritance, with impacts on phenotype and adaptation depending on environmental predictability. Our review shows that multigenerational persistence of epigenomic patterns is common in both plants and animals, but also highlights many knowledge gaps that remain to be filled. We provide a framework to guide future studies towards understanding the generational persistence and eco-evolutionary significance of epigenomic patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafni Anastasiadi
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Nelson Research Centre, 293 Akersten St, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | - Clare J Venney
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Nelson Research Centre, 293 Akersten St, Nelson 7010, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
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Hazard D, Plisson-Petit F, Moreno-Romieux C, Fabre S, Drouilhet L. Genetic Determinism Exists for the Global DNA Methylation Rate in Sheep. Front Genet 2021; 11:616960. [PMID: 33424937 PMCID: PMC7786236 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.616960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies showed that epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation, influence production and adaptive traits in plants and animals. So far, most studies dealing with genetics and epigenetics considered DNA methylation sites independently. However, the genetic basis of the global DNA methylation rate (GDMR) remains unknown. The main objective of the present study was to investigate genetic determinism of GDMR in sheep. The experiment was conducted on 1,047 Romane sheep allocated into 10 half-sib families. After weaning, all the lambs were phenotyped for global GDMR in blood as well as for production and adaptive traits. GDMR was measured by LUminometric Methylation Analysis (LUMA) using a pyrosequencing approach. Association analyses were conducted on some of the lambs (n = 775) genotyped by using the Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip. Blood GDMR varied among the animals (average 70.7 ± 6.0%). Female lambs had significantly higher GDMR than male lambs. Inter-individual variability of blood GDMR had an additive genetic component and heritability was moderate (h2 = 0.20 ± 0.05). No significant genetic correlation was found between GDMR and growth or carcass traits, birthcoat, or social behaviors. Association analyses revealed 28 QTLs associated with blood GDMR. Seven genomic regions on chromosomes 1, 5, 11, 17, 24, and 26 were of most interest due to either high significant associations with GDMR or to the relevance of genes located close to the QTLs. QTL effects were moderate. Genomic regions associated with GDMR harbored several genes not yet described as being involved in DNA methylation, but some are already known to play an active role in gene expression. In addition, some candidate genes, CHD1, NCO3A, KDM8, KAT7, and KAT6A have previously been described to be involved in epigenetic modifications. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that blood GDMR in domestic sheep is under polygenic influence and provide new insights into DNA methylation genetic determinism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Hazard
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | | | | | - Stéphane Fabre
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, Castanet Tolosan, France
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Ou M, Chen K, Gao D, Wu Y, Chen Z, Luo Q, Liu H, Zhao J. Comparative transcriptome analysis on four types of gonadal tissues of blotched snakehead (Channa maculata). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2020; 35:100708. [PMID: 32674038 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2020.100708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Blotched snakehead (Channa maculata) is an economically important freshwater fish in China, of which males grow much faster than females. To illuminate the molecular mechanism of sex differentiation and gonad development, RNA-Sequencing was performed to identify sex-related genes and pathway in gonads of 6-month-old normal XX females (XX-F), normal XY males (XY-M), XY sex reversal females (XY-F) and YY super-males (YY-M). The analysis showed that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) had similar expression patterns in XY-F and XX-F, which were different from XY-M and YY-M. qRT-PCR indicated that Amh, Dmrt1, and Sox9 had relatively high expression in testes of XY-M and YY-M. Taking Amh as an example, there was a relative fold change of 1.0 in XX-F, 2.1 fold change in XY-F, 36.1 fold change in XY-M, and 26.0 fold change in YY-M. Cyp19a1a, Figla, and Foxl2 were highly expressive in ovaries of XX-F and XY-F. Taking Figla as an example, there was a relative fold change of 557 in XX-F, 304.5 fold change in XY-F, 5.6 fold change in XY-M, and 4.4 fold change in YY-M. KEGG analysis revealed many DEGs distributed in pathways related to sex differentiation, steroid hormone synthesis and growth, etc. Significant variation and trends in relative expression levels tested by qRT-PCR were consistent with those recorded by RNA-Sequencing. This is the first time that transcriptome of snakehead has been investigated systematically and in an integrated way. Large quantities of candidate genes involved in sex differentiation, gonad development and growth dimorphism were identified. The study provides useful resources for understanding sex differentiation and growth dimorphism, potentially assisting mono-sex production of snakehead in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Ou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
| | - Kunci Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
| | - Dandan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yanduo Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China.
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