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Zhang Y, Mei Y, Cao A, Li S, He C, Song L, Gao J, Zhu Y, Cao X. Transcriptome analyses of betta fish (Betta splendens) provide novel insights into fin regeneration and color-related genes. Gene 2023:147508. [PMID: 37230203 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The betta fish (Betta splendens), an important ornamental fish, haswell-developed and colorful fins.After fin amputation, betta fish can easily regenerate finssimilar to the originalsin terms of structureand color. The powerful fin regeneration ability and a variety of colors in the betta fish are fascinating. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, tail fin amputation and regeneration experiments were performed on two kinds of betta fish: red and white color betta fish. Then, transcriptome analyseswere conducted to screen out fin regeneration and color-relatedgenes in betta fish. Through enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we founda series of enrichment pathways and genes related to finregeneration, including cell cycle (i.e. plcg2), TGF-beta signaling pathway (i.e. bmp6), PI3K-Akt signaling pathway (i.e. loxl2aand loxl2b), Wnt signaling pathway(i.e. lef1), gap junctions (i.e. cx43), angiogenesis (i.e. foxp1), and interferon regulatory factor (i.e. irf8). Meanwhile, some fin color-related pathways and genes were identified in betta fish, especially melanogenesis (i.e. tyr, tyrp1a, tyrp1b, and mc1r) and carotenoid color genes (i.e. pax3, pax7, sox10, and ednrba). In conclusion, this studycan not only enrich the research onfish tissue regeneration, but also has a potential significance for the aquaculture and breeding of the betta fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunbang Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yihui Mei
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Aiying Cao
- Beijing Aquaculture Technology Extention Station, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Sen Li
- Beijing Aquaculture Technology Extention Station, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Chuan He
- Beijing Aquaculture Technology Extention Station, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Liyuan Song
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jian Gao
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yurong Zhu
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaojuan Cao
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Santos ME, Lopes JF, Kratochwil CF. East African cichlid fishes. EvoDevo 2023; 14:1. [PMID: 36604760 PMCID: PMC9814215 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-022-00205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes are a very diverse and species-rich family of teleost fishes that inhabit lakes and rivers of India, Africa, and South and Central America. Research has largely focused on East African cichlids of the Rift Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi, and Victoria that constitute the biodiversity hotspots of cichlid fishes. Here, we give an overview of the study system, research questions, and methodologies. Research on cichlid fishes spans many disciplines including ecology, evolution, physiology, genetics, development, and behavioral biology. In this review, we focus on a range of organismal traits, including coloration phenotypes, trophic adaptations, appendages like fins and scales, sensory systems, sex, brains, and behaviors. Moreover, we discuss studies on cichlid phylogenies, plasticity, and general evolutionary patterns, ranging from convergence to speciation rates and the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying these processes. From a methodological viewpoint, the last decade has brought great advances in cichlid fish research, particularly through the advent of affordable deep sequencing and advances in genetic manipulations. The ability to integrate across traits and research disciplines, ranging from developmental biology to ecology and evolution, makes cichlid fishes a fascinating research system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - João F Lopes
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Ahi EP, Sinclair-Waters M, Donner I, Primmer CR. A pituitary gene network linking vgll3 to regulators of sexual maturation in male Atlantic salmon. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 275:111337. [PMID: 36341967 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Age at maturity is a key life history trait and a significant contributor to life history strategy variation. The maturation process is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, but specific causes of variation in maturation timing remain elusive. In many species, the increase in the regulatory gonadotropin-releasing hormone 1 (GnRH1) marks the onset of puberty. Atlantic salmon, however, lacks the gnrh1 gene, suggesting gnrh3 and/or other regulatory factors are involved in the maturation process. Earlier research in Atlantic salmon has found a strong association between alternative alleles of vgll3 and maturation timing. Recently we reported strong induction of gonadotropin genes (fshb and lhb) in the pituitary of Atlantic salmon homozygous for the early maturation allele (E) of vgll3. The induction of gonadotropins was accompanied by increased expression of their direct upstream regulators, c-jun and sf1 (nr5a1b) but the regulatory connection between vgll3 and these regulators has never been investigated in any organism. In this study, we investigated the potential regulatory connection between vgll3 genotypes and these regulators through a stepwise approach of identifying a gene regulatory network (GRN) containing c-jun and sf1, and transcription factor motif enrichment analysis. We found a GRN containing c-jun with predicted upstream regulators, e2f1, egr1, foxj1 and klf4, to be differentially expressed in the pituitary. Finally, we suggest a vgll3 and Hippo pathway -dependent model for transcriptional regulation of c-jun and sf1 in the pituitary, which may have broader implications across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Marion Sinclair-Waters
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montpellier, France. https://twitter.com/Marionswaters
| | - Iikki Donner
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Finland.
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4
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Ahi EP, Richter F, Sefc KM. Gene expression patterns associated with caudal fin shape in the cichlid Lamprologus tigripictilis. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 850:2257-2273. [PMID: 37325486 PMCID: PMC10261199 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-05068-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Variation in fin shape is one of the most prominent features of morphological diversity among fish. Regulation of fin growth has mainly been studied in zebrafish, and it is not clear whether the molecular mechanisms underlying shape variation are equally diverse or rather conserved across species. In the present study, expression levels of 37 candidate genes were tested for association with fin shape in the cichlid fish Lamprologus tigripictilis. The tested genes included members of a fin shape-associated gene regulatory network identified in a previous study and novel candidates selected within this study. Using both intact and regenerating fin tissue, we tested for expression differences between the elongated and the short regions of the spade-shaped caudal fin and identified 20 genes and transcription factors (including angptl5, cd63, csrp1a, cx43, esco2, gbf1, and rbpj), whose expression patterns were consistent with a role in fin growth. Collated with available gene expression data of two other cichlid species, our study not only highlights several genes that were correlated with fin growth in all three species (e.g., angptl5, cd63, cx43, and mmp9), but also reveals species-specific gene expression and correlation patterns, which indicate considerable divergence in the regulatory mechanisms of fin growth across cichlids. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05068-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Florian Richter
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Ahi EP, Sinclair-Waters M, Moustakas-Verho J, Jansouz S, Primmer CR. Strong regulatory effects of vgll3 genotype on reproductive axis gene expression in juvenile male Atlantic salmon. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 325:114055. [PMID: 35580687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Age at maturity is a major contributor to the diversity of life history strategies in organisms. The process of maturation is influenced by both genetics and the environment, and includes changes in levels of sex hormones and behavior, but the specific factors leading to variation in maturation timing are poorly understood. gnrh1 regulates the transcription of gonadotropin genes at pubertal onset in many species, but this gene is lacking in certain teleost species including Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), which raises the possibility of the involvement of other important regulatory factors during this process. Earlier research has reported a strong association of alternative alleles of the vgll3 gene with maturation timing in Atlantic salmon, suggesting it as a potential candidate regulating reproductive axis genes. Here, we investigated the expression of reproductive axis genes in one-year-old Atlantic salmon males with immature gonads and different vgll3 genotypes during the spawning period. We detected strong vgll3 genotype-dependent differential expression of reproductive axis genes (such as fshb, lhb, amh and igf3) tested in the pituitary, and testis. In addition, we observed differential expression of jun (ap1) and nr5a1b (sf1), potential upstream regulators of gonadotropins in the pituitary, as well as axin2, id3, insl3, itch, ptgs2a and ptger4b, the downstream targets of amh and igf3 in the testis. Hereby, we provide evidence of strong vgll3 genotype-dependent transcriptional regulation of reproductive axis genes prior to sexual maturation and suggest alternative models for distinct actions of vgll3 genotypes on the related molecular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Marion Sinclair-Waters
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jacqueline Moustakas-Verho
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Shadi Jansouz
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Wagner M, Bračun S, Duenser A, Sturmbauer C, Gessl W, Ahi EP. Expression variations in ectodysplasin-A gene (eda) may contribute to morphological divergence of scales in haplochromine cichlids. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:28. [PMID: 35272610 PMCID: PMC8908630 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01984-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elasmoid scales are one of the most common dermal appendages and can be found in almost all species of bony fish differing greatly in their shape. Whilst the genetic underpinnings behind elasmoid scale development have been investigated, not much is known about the mechanisms involved in moulding of scales. To investigate the links between gene expression differences and morphological divergence, we inferred shape variation of scales from two different areas of the body (anterior and posterior) stemming from ten haplochromine cichlid species from different origins (Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria and riverine). Additionally, we investigated transcriptional differences of a set of genes known to be involved in scale development and morphogenesis in fish. RESULTS We found that scales from the anterior and posterior part of the body strongly differ in their overall shape, and a separate look on scales from each body part revealed similar trajectories of shape differences considering the lake origin of single investigated species. Above all, nine as well as 11 out of 16 target genes showed expression differences between the lakes for the anterior and posterior dataset, respectively. Whereas in posterior scales four genes (dlx5, eda, rankl and shh) revealed significant correlations between expression and morphological differentiation, in anterior scales only one gene (eda) showed such a correlation. Furthermore, eda displayed the most significant expression difference between species of Lake Tanganyika and species of the other two younger lakes. Finally, we found genetic differences in downstream regions of eda gene (e.g., in the eda-tnfsf13b inter-genic region) that are associated with observed expression differences. This is reminiscent of a genetic difference in the eda-tnfsf13b inter-genic region which leads to gain or loss of armour plates in stickleback. CONCLUSION These findings provide evidence for cross-species transcriptional differences of an important morphogenetic factor, eda, which is involved in formation of ectodermal appendages. These expression differences appeared to be associated with morphological differences observed in the scales of haplochromine cichlids indicating potential role of eda mediated signal in divergent scale morphogenesis in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Wagner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sandra Bračun
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Anna Duenser
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Gessl
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria. .,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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Ahi EP, Tsakoumis E, Brunel M, Schmitz M. Transcriptional study reveals a potential leptin-dependent gene regulatory network in zebrafish brain. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2021; 47:1283-1298. [PMID: 34236575 PMCID: PMC8302498 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-021-00967-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The signal mediated by leptin hormone and its receptor is a major regulator of body weight, food intake and metabolism. In mammals and many teleost fish species, leptin has an anorexigenic role and inhibits food intake by influencing the appetite centres in the hypothalamus. However, the regulatory connections between leptin and downstream genes mediating its appetite-regulating effects are still not fully explored in teleost fish. In this study, we used a loss of function leptin receptor zebrafish mutant and real-time quantitative PCR to assess brain expression patterns of several previously identified anorexigenic genes downstream of leptin signal under different feeding conditions (normal feeding, 7-day fasting, 2 and 6-h refeeding). These downstream factors include members of cart genes, crhb and gnrh2, as well as selected genes co-expressed with them based on a zebrafish co-expression database. Here, we found a potential gene expression network (GRN) comprising the abovementioned genes by a stepwise approach of identifying co-expression modules and predicting their upstream regulators. Among the transcription factors (TFs) predicted as potential upstream regulators of this GRN, we found expression pattern of sp3a to be correlated with transcriptional changes of the downstream gene network. Interestingly, the expression and transcriptional activity of Sp3 orthologous gene in mammals have already been implicated to be under the influence of leptin signal. These findings suggest a potentially conserved regulatory connection between leptin and sp3a, which is predicted to act as a transcriptional driver of a downstream gene network in the zebrafish brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emmanouil Tsakoumis
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mathilde Brunel
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Allmas Allé 5, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monika Schmitz
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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Pohl J, Golovko O, Carlsson G, Örn S, Schmitz M, Ahi EP. Gene co-expression network analysis reveals mechanisms underlying ozone-induced carbamazepine toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 276:130282. [PMID: 34088109 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sewage effluent ozonation can reduce concentrations of chemical pollutants including pharmaceutical residues. However, the formation of potentially toxic ozonation byproducts (OBPs) is a matter of concern. This study sought to elucidate toxicity mechanisms of ozonated carbamazepine (CBZ), an anti-epileptic drug frequently detected in sewage effluents and surface water, in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Embryos were exposed to ozonated and non-ozonated CBZ from 3 h post-fertilization (hpf) until 144 hpf. Embryotoxicity endpoints (proportion of dead and malformed embryos) were assessed at 24, 48, and 144 hpf. Heart rate was recorded at 48 hpf. Exposure to ozonated CBZ gave rise to cardiovascular-related malformations and reduced heart rate. Moreover, embryo-larvae exposed to ozonated CBZ displayed a lack of swim bladder inflation. Hence, the expression patterns of CBZ target genes involved in cardiovascular and embryonal development were investigated through a stepwise gene co-expression analysis approach. Two co-expression networks and their upstream transcription regulators were identified, offering mechanistic explanations for the observed toxicity phenotypes. The study presents a novel application of gene co-expression analysis elucidating potential toxicity mechanisms of an ozonated pharmaceutical with environmental relevance. The resulting data was used to establish a putative adverse outcome pathway (AOP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Pohl
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Oksana Golovko
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Carlsson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Örn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monika Schmitz
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology Section, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology Section, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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Lecaudey LA, Singh P, Sturmbauer C, Duenser A, Gessl W, Ahi EP. Transcriptomics unravels molecular players shaping dorsal lip hypertrophy in the vacuum cleaner cichlid, Gnathochromis permaxillaris. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:506. [PMID: 34225643 PMCID: PMC8256507 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07775-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Teleosts display a spectacular diversity of craniofacial adaptations that often mediates ecological specializations. A considerable amount of research has revealed molecular players underlying skeletal craniofacial morphologies, but less is known about soft craniofacial phenotypes. Here we focus on an example of lip hypertrophy in the benthivorous Lake Tangnayika cichlid, Gnathochromis permaxillaris, considered to be a morphological adaptation to extract invertebrates out of the uppermost layer of mud bottom. We investigate the molecular and regulatory basis of lip hypertrophy in G. permaxillaris using a comparative transcriptomic approach. RESULTS We identified a gene regulatory network involved in tissue overgrowth and cellular hypertrophy, potentially associated with the formation of a locally restricted hypertrophic lip in a teleost fish species. Of particular interest were the increased expression level of apoda and fhl2, as well as reduced expression of cyp1a, gimap8, lama5 and rasal3, in the hypertrophic lip region which have been implicated in lip formation in other vertebrates. Among the predicted upstream transcription factors, we found reduced expression of foxp1 in the hypertrophic lip region, which is known to act as repressor of cell growth and proliferation, and its function has been associated with hypertrophy of upper lip in human. CONCLUSION Our results provide a genetic foundation for future studies of molecular players shaping soft and exaggerated, but locally restricted, craniofacial morphological changes in fish and perhaps across vertebrates. In the future, we advocate integrating gene regulatory networks of various craniofacial phenotypes to understand how they collectively govern trophic and behavioural adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurène Alicia Lecaudey
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Pooja Singh
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anna Duenser
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Gessl
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Bastian FB, Roux J, Niknejad A, Comte A, Fonseca Costa SS, de Farias TM, Moretti S, Parmentier G, de Laval VR, Rosikiewicz M, Wollbrett J, Echchiki A, Escoriza A, Gharib WH, Gonzales-Porta M, Jarosz Y, Laurenczy B, Moret P, Person E, Roelli P, Sanjeev K, Seppey M, Robinson-Rechavi M. The Bgee suite: integrated curated expression atlas and comparative transcriptomics in animals. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D831-D847. [PMID: 33037820 PMCID: PMC7778977 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bgee is a database to retrieve and compare gene expression patterns in multiple animal species, produced by integrating multiple data types (RNA-Seq, Affymetrix, in situ hybridization, and EST data). It is based exclusively on curated healthy wild-type expression data (e.g., no gene knock-out, no treatment, no disease), to provide a comparable reference of normal gene expression. Curation includes very large datasets such as GTEx (re-annotation of samples as ‘healthy’ or not) as well as many small ones. Data are integrated and made comparable between species thanks to consistent data annotation and processing, and to calls of presence/absence of expression, along with expression scores. As a result, Bgee is capable of detecting the conditions of expression of any single gene, accommodating any data type and species. Bgee provides several tools for analyses, allowing, e.g., automated comparisons of gene expression patterns within and between species, retrieval of the prefered conditions of expression of any gene, or enrichment analyses of conditions with expression of sets of genes. Bgee release 14.1 includes 29 animal species, and is available at https://bgee.org/ and through its Bioconductor R package BgeeDB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic B Bastian
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Roux
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne Niknejad
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Comte
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara S Fonseca Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tarcisio Mendes de Farias
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Moretti
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Parmentier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valentine Rech de Laval
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marta Rosikiewicz
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Wollbrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amina Echchiki
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Angélique Escoriza
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Walid H Gharib
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mar Gonzales-Porta
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yohan Jarosz
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Balazs Laurenczy
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Moret
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emilie Person
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Roelli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Komal Sanjeev
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Seppey
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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11
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Ahi EP, Duenser A, Singh P, Gessl W, Sturmbauer C. Appetite regulating genes may contribute to herbivory versus carnivory trophic divergence in haplochromine cichlids. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8375. [PMID: 31998557 PMCID: PMC6977467 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Feeding is a complex behaviour comprised of satiety control, foraging, ingestion and subsequent digestion. Cichlids from the East African Great Lakes are renowned for their diverse trophic specializations, largely predicated on highly variable jaw morphologies. Thus, most research has focused on dissecting the genetic, morphological and regulatory basis of jaw and teeth development in these species. Here for the first time we explore another aspect of feeding, the regulation of appetite related genes that are expressed in the brain and control satiety in cichlid fishes. Using qPCR analysis, we first validate stably expressed reference genes in the brain of six haplochromine cichlid species at the end of larval development prior to foraging. We next evaluate the expression of 16 appetite related genes in herbivorous and carnivorous species from the parallel radiations of Lake Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria. Interestingly, we find increased expression of two appetite-regulating genes (anorexigenic genes), cart and npy2r, in the brain of carnivorous species in all the three lakes. This supports the notion that appetite gene regulation might play a part in determining trophic niche specialization in divergent cichlid species, already prior to exposure to different diets. Our study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on the neurological circuitry that controls feeding transitions and adaptations in cichlids and other teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan P. Ahi
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Anna Duenser
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Pooja Singh
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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12
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Lecaudey LA, Sturmbauer C, Singh P, Ahi EP. Molecular mechanisms underlying nuchal hump formation in dolphin cichlid, Cyrtocara moorii. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20296. [PMID: 31889116 PMCID: PMC6937230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56771-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
East African cichlid fishes represent a model to tackle adaptive changes and their connection to rapid speciation and ecological distinction. In comparison to bony craniofacial tissues, adaptive morphogenesis of soft tissues has been rarely addressed, particularly at the molecular level. The nuchal hump in cichlids fishes is one such soft-tissue and exaggerated trait that is hypothesized to play an innovative role in the adaptive radiation of cichlids fishes. It has also evolved in parallel across lakes in East Africa and Central America. Using gene expression profiling, we identified and validated a set of genes involved in nuchal hump formation in the Lake Malawi dolphin cichlid, Cyrtocara moorii. In particular, we found genes differentially expressed in the nuchal hump, which are involved in controlling cell proliferation (btg3, fosl1a and pdgfrb), cell growth (dlk1), craniofacial morphogenesis (dlx5a, mycn and tcf12), as well as regulators of growth-related signals (dpt, pappa and socs2). This is the first study to identify the set of genes associated with nuchal hump formation in cichlids. Given that the hump is a trait that evolved repeatedly in several African and American cichlid lineages, it would be interesting to see if the molecular pathways and genes triggering hump formation follow a common genetic track or if the trait evolved in parallel, with distinct mechanisms, in other cichlid adaptive radiations and even in other teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurène Alicia Lecaudey
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Pooja Singh
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria.
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-75 236, Uppsala, Sweden.
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13
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Ahi EP, Brunel M, Tsakoumis E, Schmitz M. Transcriptional study of appetite regulating genes in the brain of zebrafish (Danio rerio) with impaired leptin signalling. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20166. [PMID: 31882937 PMCID: PMC6934527 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56779-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The hormone leptin is a key regulator of body weight, food intake and metabolism. In mammals, leptin acts as an anorexigen and inhibits food intake centrally by affecting the appetite centres in the hypothalamus. In teleost fish, the regulatory connections between leptin and other appetite-regulating genes are largely unknown. In the present study, we used a zebrafish mutant with a loss of function leptin receptor to investigate brain expression patterns of 12 orexigenic and 24 anorexigenic genes under different feeding conditions (normal feeding, 7-day fasting, 2 and 6-hours refeeding). Expression patterns were compared to wild-type zebrafish, in order to identify leptin-dependent differentially expressed genes under different feeding conditions. We provide evidence that the transcription of certain orexigenic and anorexigenic genes is influenced by leptin signalling in the zebrafish brain. We found that the expression of orexigenic genes was not affected by impaired leptin signalling under normal feeding conditions; however, several orexigenic genes showed increased transcription during fasting and refeeding, including agrp, apln, galr1a and cnr1. This suggests an inhibitory effect of leptin signal on the transcription of these orexigenic genes during short-term fasting and refeeding in functional zebrafish. Most pronounced effects were observed in the group of anorexigenic genes, where the impairment of leptin signalling resulted in reduced gene expression in several genes, including cart family, crhb, gnrh2, mc4r, pomc and spx, in the control group. This suggests a stimulatory effect of leptin signal on the transcription of these anorexigenic genes under normal feeding condition. In addition, we found multiple gain and loss in expression correlations between the appetite-regulating genes, in zebrafish with impaired leptin signal, suggesting the presence of gene regulatory networks downstream of leptin signal in zebrafish brain. The results provide the first evidence for the effects of leptin signal on the transcription of various appetite-regulating genes in zebrafish brain, under different feeding conditions. Altogether, these transcriptional changes suggest an anorexigenic role for leptin signal, which is likely to be mediated through distinct set of appetite-regulating genes under different feeding conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mathilde Brunel
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, BioCentrum, Allmas Allé 5, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emmanouil Tsakoumis
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monika Schmitz
- Department of Organismal Biology, Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
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14
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Ahi EP, Singh P, Duenser A, Gessl W, Sturmbauer C. Divergence in larval jaw gene expression reflects differential trophic adaptation in haplochromine cichlids prior to foraging. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:150. [PMID: 31340758 PMCID: PMC6657104 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1483-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding how variation in gene expression contributes to morphological diversity is a major goal in evolutionary biology. Cichlid fishes from the East African Great lakes exhibit striking diversity in trophic adaptations predicated on the functional modularity of their two sets of jaws (oral and pharyngeal). However, the transcriptional basis of this modularity is not so well understood, as no studies thus far have directly compared the expression of genes in the oral and pharyngeal jaws. Nor is it well understood how gene expression may have contributed to the parallel evolution of trophic morphologies across the replicate cichlid adaptive radiations in Lake Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria. Results We set out to investigate the role of gene expression divergence in cichlid fishes from these three lakes adapted to herbivorous and carnivorous trophic niches. We focused on the development stage prior to the onset of exogenous feeding that is critical for understanding patterns of gene expression after oral and pharyngeal jaw skeletogenesis, anticipating environmental cues. This framework permitted us for the first time to test for signatures of gene expression underlying jaw modularity in convergent eco-morphologies across three independent adaptive radiations. We validated a set of reference genes, with stable expression between the two jaw types and across species, which can be important for future studies of gene expression in cichlid jaws. Next we found evidence of modular and non-modular gene expression between the two jaws, across different trophic niches and lakes. For instance, prdm1a, a skeletogenic gene with modular anterior-posterior expression, displayed higher pharyngeal jaw expression and modular expression pattern only in carnivorous species. Furthermore, we found the expression of genes in cichlids jaws from the youngest Lake Victoria to exhibit low modularity compared to the older lakes. Conclusion Overall, our results provide cross-species transcriptional comparisons of modularly-regulated skeletogenic genes in the two jaw types, implicating expression differences which might contribute to the formation of divergent trophic morphologies at the stage of larval independence prior to foraging. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-019-1483-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria. .,Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Pooja Singh
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Anna Duenser
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Gessl
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
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