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Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 38651

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Dr. Maria J. Darias

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Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation, UMR MARBEC, Campus Triolet-Bat 24-CC093, Place Eugène Bataillon, CEDEX 5, 34095 Montpellier, France
Interests: fish digestive physiology; fish nutrition; fish ontogeny; fish skeletal anomalies; sustainable aquaculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world is constantly changing due to natural and anthropogenic factors. Considering the impact of these factors on ecosystems and their organisms, the need for sustainable development is widely recognized for the sake of the planet. In this sense, understanding the relationships between these factors and organisms’ functions is essential. In fact, it is well known that nutritional, environmental, and anthropogenic factors affect the development of an organism. They can both promote or alter the correct process of ontogenesis through tightly orchestrated and complex mechanisms. Fish research in this area is continuously increasing because of its significance in terms of biodiversity management and aquaculture practices. Moreover, fish have been proven to serve as models for medical research since they share molecular signatures and histopathological features with human diseases. This Special Issue on “Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development” aims to gather the recent advances in the understanding of how these factors influence the intricate process of fish development leading to normal or abnormal/unhealthy phenotypes. Original research and reviews on developmental biology, physiology, cell biology, epigenetics, developmental plasticity, morphogenesis, etc. from a molecular perspective are welcome, especially those using integrative omics (or multi-omics) approaches. Both fundamental and applied research are appreciated.

Dr. Maria J. Darias
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 15038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feed Restriction Modulates Growth, Gut Morphology and Gene Expression in Zebrafish

by Kathiresan Purushothaman, Jerryl Kim Han Tan, Doreen Lau, Jolly M. Saju, Natascha M. Thevasagayam, Caroline Lei Wee and Shubha Vij

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(4), 1814; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041814 - 11 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3377

Abstract

A reduction in daily caloric or nutrient intake has been observed to promote health benefits in mammals and other vertebrates. Feed Restriction (FR), whereby the overall food intake of the organism is reduced, has been explored as a method to improve metabolic and immune health, as well as to optimize productivity in farming. However, less is known regarding the molecular and physiological consequences of FR. Using the model organism, Danio rerio, we investigated the impact of a short-term (month-long) FR on growth, gut morphology and gene expression. Our data suggest that FR has minimal effects on the average growth rates, but it may affect weight and size heterogeneity in a sex-dependent manner. In the gut, we observed a significant reduction in gut circumference and generally lower mucosal heights, whereas other parameters remained unchanged. Gene Ontology (GO), EuKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis identified numerous metabolic, reproductive, and immune response pathways that were affected by FR. These results broaden our understanding of FR and contribute towards growing knowledge of its effects on vertebrate health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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20 pages, 4725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insights into the Function and Evolution of Taste 1 Receptor Gene Family in the Carnivore Fish Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)

by Anna Rita Angotzi, Sara Puchol, Jose M. Cerdá-Reverter and Sofia Morais

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(20), 7732; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21207732 - 19 Oct 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3175

Abstract

A plethora of molecular and functional studies in tetrapods has led to the discovery of multiple taste 1 receptor (T1R) genes encoding G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) responsible for sweet (T1R2 + T1R3) and umami (T1R1 + T1R3) taste. In fish, the T1R gene family repertoires greatly expanded because of several T1R2 gene duplications, and recent studies have shown T1R2 functional divergence from canonical mammalian sweet taste perceptions, putatively as an adaptive mechanism to develop distinct feeding strategies in highly diverse aquatic habitats. We addressed this question in the carnivore fish gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), a model species of aquaculture interest, and found that the saT1R gene repertoire consists of eight members including saT1R1, saT1R3 and six saT1R2a-f gene duplicates, adding further evidence to the evolutionary complexity of fishT1Rs families. To analyze saT1R taste functions, we first developed a stable gene reporter system based on Ca²⁺-dependent calcineurin/NFAT signaling to examine specifically in vitro the responses of a subset of saT1R heterodimers to L-amino acids (L-AAs) and sweet ligands. We show that although differentially tuned in sensitivity and magnitude of responses, saT1R1/R3, saT1R2a/R3 and saT1R2b/R3 may equally serve to transduce amino acid taste sensations. Furthermore, we present preliminary information on the potential involvement of the Gi protein alpha subunits saGαi1 and saGαi2 in taste signal transduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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26 pages, 4515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

More Bone with Less Minerals? The Effects of Dietary Phosphorus on the Post-Cranial Skeleton in Zebrafish

by Silvia Cotti, Ann Huysseune, Wolfgang Koppe, Martin Rücklin, Federica Marone, Eva M. Wölfel, Imke A. K. Fiedler, Björn Busse, Antonella Forlino and P. Eckhard Witten

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(15), 5429; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155429 - 30 Jul 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5116

Abstract

Dietary phosphorus (P) is essential for bone mineralisation in vertebrates. P deficiency can cause growth retardation, osteomalacia and bone deformities, both in teleosts and in mammals. Conversely, excess P supply can trigger soft tissue calcification and bone hypermineralisation. This study uses a wide range of complementary techniques (X-rays, histology, TEM, synchrotron X-ray tomographic microscopy, nanoindentation) to describe in detail the effects of dietary P on the zebrafish skeleton, after two months of administering three different diets: 0.5% (low P, LP), 1.0% (regular P, RP), and 1.5% (high P, HP) total P content. LP zebrafish display growth retardation and hypomineralised bones, albeit without deformities. LP zebrafish increase production of non-mineralised bone matrix, and osteoblasts have enlarged endoplasmic reticulum cisternae, indicative for increased collagen synthesis. The HP diet promotes growth, high mineralisation, and stiffness but causes vertebral centra fusions. Structure and arrangement of bone matrix collagen fibres are not influenced by dietary P in all three groups. In conclusion, low dietary P content stimulates the formation of non-mineralised bone without inducing malformations. This indicates that bone formation and mineralisation are uncoupled. In contrast, high dietary P content promotes mineralisation and vertebral body fusions. This new zebrafish model is a useful tool to understand the mechanisms underlying osteomalacia and abnormal mineralisation, due to underlying variations in dietary P levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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18 pages, 1803 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular and Functional Characterization of Elovl4 Genes in Sparus aurata and Solea senegalensis Pointing to a Critical Role in Very Long-Chain (>C₂₄) Fatty Acid Synthesis during Early Neural Development of Fish

by Sofia Morais, Miguel Torres, Francisco Hontoria, Óscar Monroig, Inma Varó, María José Agulleiro and Juan Carlos Navarro

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(10), 3514; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21103514 - 15 May 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2692

Abstract

Very long-chain fatty acids (VLC-FA) play critical roles in neural tissues during the early development of vertebrates. However, studies on VLC-FA in fish are scarce. The biosynthesis of VLC-FA is mediated by elongation of very long-chain fatty acid 4 (Elovl4) proteins and, consequently, the complement and activity of these enzymes determines the capacity that a given species has for satisfying its physiological demands, in particular for the correct development of neurophysiological functions. The present study aimed to characterize and localize the expression of elovl4 genes from Sparus aurata and Solea senegalensis, as well as to determine the function of their encoded proteins. The results confirmed that both fish possess two distinct elovl4 genes, named elovl4a and elovl4b. Functional assays demonstrated that both Elovl4 isoforms had the capability to elongate long-chain (C_20–24), both saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA), fatty acid precursors to VLC-FA. In spite of their overlapping activity, Elovl4a was more active in VLC-SFA elongation, while Elovl4b had a preponderant elongation activity towards n-3 PUFA substrates, particularly in S. aurata, being additionally the only isoform that is capable of elongating docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A preferential expression of elovl4 genes was measured in neural tissues, being elovl4a and elovl4b mRNAs mostly found in brain and eyes, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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22 pages, 2722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Insights on Vitamin K Metabolism in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) Based on Ontogenetic and Tissue-Specific Vitamin K Epoxide Reductase Molecular Data

by Silvia Beato, Carlos Marques, Vincent Laizé, Paulo J. Gavaia and Ignacio Fernández

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(10), 3489; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21103489 - 15 May 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3339

Abstract

Vitamin K (VK) is a key nutrient for several biological processes (e.g., blood clotting and bone metabolism). To fulfill VK nutritional requirements, VK action as an activator of pregnane X receptor (Pxr) signaling pathway, and as a co-factor of γ-glutamyl carboxylase enzyme, should be considered. In this regard, VK recycling through vitamin K epoxide reductases (Vkors) is essential and should be better understood. Here, the expression patterns of vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (vkorc1) and vkorc1 like 1 (vkorc1l1) were determined during the larval ontogeny of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis), and in early juveniles cultured under different physiological conditions. Full-length transcripts for ssvkorc1 and ssvkorc1l1 were determined and peptide sequences were found to be evolutionarily conserved. During larval development, expression of ssvkorc1 showed a slight increase during absence or low feed intake. Expression of ssvkorc1l1 continuously decreased until 24 h post-fertilization, and remained constant afterwards. Both ssvkors were ubiquitously expressed in adult tissues, and highest expression was found in liver for ssvkorc1, and ovary and brain for ssvkorc1l1. Expression of ssvkorc1 and ssvkorc1l1 was differentially regulated under physiological conditions related to fasting and re-feeding, but also under VK dietary supplementation and induced deficiency. The present work provides new and basic molecular clues evidencing how VK metabolism in marine fish is sensitive to nutritional and environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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14 pages, 2469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silver Nanoparticles in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos: Uptake, Growth and Molecular Responses

by Liyuan Qiang, Zeinab H. Arabeyyat, Qi Xin, Vesselin N. Paunov, Imogen J. F. Dale, Richard I. Lloyd Mills, Jeanette M. Rotchell and Jinping Cheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(5), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21051876 - 9 Mar 2020

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6339

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in commercial applications as antimicrobial agents, but there have recently been increasing concerns raised about their possible environmental and health impacts. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to two sizes of AgNP, 4 and 10 nm, through a continuous exposure from 4 to 96 h post-fertilisation (hpf), to study their uptake, impact and molecular defense responses. Results showed that zebrafish embryos were significantly impacted by 72 hpf when continuously exposed to 4 nm AgNPs. At concentrations above 0.963 mg/L, significant in vivo uptake and delayed yolk sac absorption was evident; at 1.925 mg/L, significantly reduced body length was recorded compared to control embryos. Additionally, 4 nm AgNP treatment at the same concentration resulted in significantly upregulated hypoxia inducible factor 4 (HIF4) and peroxisomal membrane protein 2 (Pxmp2) mRNA expression in exposed embryos 96 hpf. In contrast, no significant differences in terms of larvae body length, yolk sac absorption or gene expression levels were observed following exposure to 10 nm AgNPs. These results demonstrated that S4 AgNPs are available for uptake, inducing developmental (measured as body length and yolk sac area) and transcriptional (specifically HIF4 and Pxmp2) perturbations in developing embryos. This study suggests the importance of particle size as one possible factor in determining the developmental toxicity of AgNPs in fish embryos. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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20 pages, 2404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Lipid Composition and Fatty Acid Desaturase 2 Expression in Broodstock Gilthead Sea Bream on Lipid Metabolism-Related Genes and Methylation of the fads2 Gene Promoter in Their Offspring

by Serhat Turkmen, Erick Perera, Maria J. Zamorano, Paula Simó-Mirabet, Hanlin Xu, Jaume Pérez-Sánchez and Marisol Izquierdo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(24), 6250; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20246250 - 11 Dec 2019

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4296

Abstract

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in parental diets play a key role in regulating n-3 LC-PUFA metabolism of the offspring. However, it is not clear whether this metabolic regulation is driven by the precursors presented in the diet or by the parental ability to synthesize them. To elucidate this, broodstocks of gilthead sea bream with different blood expression levels of fads2, which encodes for the rate-limiting enzyme in the n-3 LC-PUFA synthesis pathway, were fed either a diet supplemented with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) or a control diet. The progenies obtained from these four experimental groups were then challenged with a low LC-PUFA diet at the juvenile stage. Results showed that the offspring from parents with high fads2 expression presented higher growth and improved utilization of low n-3 LC-PUFA diets compared to the offspring from parents with low fads2 expression. Besides, an ALA-rich diet during the gametogenesis caused negative effects on the growth of the offspring. The epigenetic analysis demonstrated that methylation in the promoter of fads2 of the offspring was correlated with the parental fads2 expression levels and type of the broodstock diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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24 pages, 2981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth and Metabolic Response of Chinese Perch to Different Dietary Protein-to-Energy Ratios in Artificial Diets

by Muhammad Shoaib Alam, Xu-Fang Liang, Liwei Liu, Shan He, Yulan Kuang, Seyed Hossein Hoseinifar and Farman Ullah Dawar

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(23), 5983; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20235983 - 28 Nov 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3302

Abstract

The effect of dietary nutrients on novel farm species has always garnered wide research and economic interest. Chinese perch, an economically important carnivorous fish, accepts an artificial diet after taming, so it is essential to evaluate and optimize the nutritional and metabolic demands of this species. However, little is known about the effect of an artificial diet on the growth and metabolism of Chinese perch. Therefore, the present study evaluated the growth and metabolic responses of Chinese perch to experimental diets with different dietary protein/energy (P/E) ratios. Five isoenergetic diets (18 kJ/g) with graded levels of P/E ratios of 30.58, 33.22, 35.90, 38.6, and 41.35 mg/kJ (named A, B, C, D, and E) were formulated. A total of 225 Chinese perch (64.89 ± 0.28 g) were divided into five groups (triplicate tanks for each group), distributed into 15 (350 L) fiberglass tanks, and fed twice a day at 4% of fish wet body weight with the respective P/E ratio diets for 10 weeks. Compared with the other groups, Chinese perch in Group C showed significantly improved growth performance, weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), viscerosomatic index (VSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), intraperitoneal fat (IPF), feed utilization, feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein retention efficiency (PRE), energy retention efficiency (ERE), and feed efficiency (FE) as well as whole-body, muscle, and liver composition. Chinese perch in Group A, on the other hand, had the lowest growth performance, feed utilization, and body composition compared with the other groups. The activities of nitrogen metabolism-related enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase (AMPD)) as well as the mRNA expression of the GDH and AMPD genes were significantly lower than those in the other groups. Similarly, the expression of NPY and AgRp were significantly higher in Group C compared with the other groups. However, the gene expression of CART and POMC was not affected by the dietary P/E ratios. In Group A, the expression of mTOR, S6K, and 4EBP1 was significantly lower and that of AMPK, LKB1, and eEF2 was significantly higher when compared with the other groups. Biochemical analysis of blood showed that ALT, AST, total protein (TP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glucose (GLU), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and triglyceride (TG) levels were also affected by the dietary P/E ratio. From our results, we concluded that Chinese perch growth performance and nutrient metabolism were significantly affected by the P/E ratio of the artificial diet. Second-order polynomial regression analysis revealed that Chinese perch growth performance was optimal at a P/E ratio of 37.98 in the artificial diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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16 pages, 3458 KiB

Open AccessArticle

2,4-Dinitrotoluene (DNT) Perturbs Yolk Absorption, Liver Development and Lipid Metabolism/Oxygen Transport Gene Expression in Zebrafish Embryos and Larvae

by Jianglin Xiong, Hang Sha, Hualin Zhou, Lijuan Peng, Lingying Wu, Yinsheng Qiu, Rui Wang and Xianqin Hu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(15), 3632; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20153632 - 25 Jul 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3625

Abstract

2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) is a common environmental pollutant, and was classified as a group 2B human carcinogenic compound by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This study determined the toxic effects of 2,4-DNT exposure on zebrafish at the embryo-larvae stage, in terms of organ morphogenesis and the expression pattern of selected target genes related to lipid metabolism and oxygen transportation. The results showed that the 120-h post-fertilization LC₅₀ of 2,4-DNT was 9.59 mg/L with a 95% confidence interval of 8.89–10.44 mg/L. The larvae treated with 2,4-DNT showed toxic symptoms including smaller body, less skin pigment production, yolk malabsorption, and disordered liver development. Further studies on the expression of genes related to lipid transport and metabolism, and respiration indicated that they were significantly affected by 2,4-DNT. It is concluded that 2,4-DNT exposure perturbed liver development and yolk absorption in early-life zebrafish, and disturbed the lipid metabolism /oxygen transport gene expression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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Review

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14 pages, 2347 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Effect of an Anthropogenic Magnetic Field on the Early Developmental Stages of Fishes—A Review

by Krzysztof Formicki, Agata Korzelecka-Orkisz and Adam Tański

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(3), 1210; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031210 - 26 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2648

Abstract

The number of sources of anthropogenic magnetic and electromagnetic fields generated by various underwater facilities, industrial equipment, and transferring devices in aquatic environment is increasing. These have an effect on an array of fish life processes, but especially the early developmental stages. The magnitude of these effects depends on field strength and time of exposure and is species-specific. We review studies on the effect of magnetic fields on the course of embryogenesis, with special reference to survival, the size of the embryos, embryonic motor function, changes in pigment cells, respiration hatching, and directional reactions. We also describe the effect of magnetic fields on sperm motility and egg activation. Magnetic fields can exert positive effects, as in the case of the considerable extension of sperm capability of activation, or have a negative influence in the form of a disturbance in heart rate or developmental instability in inner ear organs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional, Environmental, and Anthropogenic Influence in Molecular Pathways Involved in Fish Development)

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