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Volume 26
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10.3390/ijms26199717
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

miR-10c Targets dgat2 and Affects the Expression of Genes Involved in Fatty Acid and Triglyceride Metabolism in Oreochromis niloticus Under Heat Stress

by
Wen Wang
1,2,
Wenjing Tao
3,
Jixiang Hua
1,
Siqi Lu
2,
Yalun Dong
2,
Jun Qiang
1,2,* and
Yifan Tao
1,2,*
1
Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
2
Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
3
Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(19), 9717; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199717
Submission received: 30 July 2025 / Revised: 24 September 2025 / Accepted: 1 October 2025 / Published: 6 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Advances in Aquatic Genetic Improvement)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Heat stress induces metabolic adaptations in fish, including the regulation of triglyceride (TG) synthesis/degradation to preserve cellular lipid balance and energy homeostasis. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) catalyzes the final step in TG synthesis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which DGAT regulates TG metabolism in heat-stressed fish remain unexplored. Our previous study suggested that miR-10c regulates dgat2 expression in genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus) under heat stress. Here, we characterized the GIFT miR-10c precursor as a 65-nucleotide transcript yielding a 22 nt mature miRNA (oni-miR-10c). A phylogenetic analysis revealed a high level of miR-10c sequence conservation across species. A dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed dgat2 as a direct target of miR-10c. Overexpression of miR-10c in vivo down-regulated dgat2 transcripts and DGAT2 protein. SiRNA-knockdown of dgat2 resulted in upregulation of cpt1α, fas, and lpl and downregulation of hsl, thereby reprogramming lipid metabolism in GIFT hepatocytes. Thus, the miR-10c-dgat2 regulatory axis facilitates TG hydrolysis and promotes fatty acid metabolism under heat stress. Our findings highlight miR-10c’s potential as a dgat2 inhibitor and its function in regulating lipid metabolism in heat-stressed GIFT. Our study reveals a key molecular pathway mediating thermal adaptation of energy metabolism in fish, providing novel targets for preventing heat-induced metabolic disorders.
Keywords: Oreochromis niloticus; miR-10c; dgat2; heat stress; lipid metabolism Oreochromis niloticus; miR-10c; dgat2; heat stress; lipid metabolism

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MDPI and ACS Style

Wang, W.; Tao, W.; Hua, J.; Lu, S.; Dong, Y.; Qiang, J.; Tao, Y. miR-10c Targets dgat2 and Affects the Expression of Genes Involved in Fatty Acid and Triglyceride Metabolism in Oreochromis niloticus Under Heat Stress. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 9717. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199717

AMA Style

Wang W, Tao W, Hua J, Lu S, Dong Y, Qiang J, Tao Y. miR-10c Targets dgat2 and Affects the Expression of Genes Involved in Fatty Acid and Triglyceride Metabolism in Oreochromis niloticus Under Heat Stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(19):9717. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199717

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Wen, Wenjing Tao, Jixiang Hua, Siqi Lu, Yalun Dong, Jun Qiang, and Yifan Tao. 2025. "miR-10c Targets dgat2 and Affects the Expression of Genes Involved in Fatty Acid and Triglyceride Metabolism in Oreochromis niloticus Under Heat Stress" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 19: 9717. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199717

APA Style

Wang, W., Tao, W., Hua, J., Lu, S., Dong, Y., Qiang, J., & Tao, Y. (2025). miR-10c Targets dgat2 and Affects the Expression of Genes Involved in Fatty Acid and Triglyceride Metabolism in Oreochromis niloticus Under Heat Stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(19), 9717. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199717

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