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Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals
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Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2024) | Viewed by 16294

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiangshan Ji

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Interests: aquatic animals; sex differentiation; temperature dependent sex determination; epigenetics; environment
Dr. Qiaomu Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
Interests: aquatic animal; sex change; molecular mechanism; application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid development of genetics and genomics, the mechanisms involved in primary sex determination and differentiation in aquatic animals are now beginning to be defined. A lot of gonadal differentiation types and sex determination mechanisms have been described in aquatic animals. Sex determination in aquatic animals is a very flexible process. For instance, according to the role of temperature in sex determination, the sex-determining mechanisms in fish can be broadly classified as genotypic (GSD), temperature (TSD), or genotypic plus temperature effects (GSD + TE). Research on the genetic basis and potential mechanisms of sex determination and differentiation is necessary for application in aquaculture and species conservation. In recent decades, remarkable progress has been achieved in the genetics and genomics of sex determination and differentiation in aquatic animals. For this Special Issue, we will present state-of-the-art articles on the genetics and genomics of sex determination in aquatic animals, assembling the most recent advances in our field in one place.

Prof. Dr. Xiangshan Ji
Dr. Qiaomu Hu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fish
  • crustacean
  • shellfish
  • genetics
  • genomics
  • sequencing
  • sex determination
  • sex differentiation
  • gene
  • cloning

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4676 KiB  
Article
dmrt1 Is Responsible for Androgen-Induced Masculinization in Nile Tilapia
by Shengfei Dai, Mei Li, Jie Yuan, Xueyan Wei, Eryan Ma, Deshou Wang and Minghui Li
Genes 2024, 15(9), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15091238 - 23 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1217
Abstract
17α-Methyltestosterone (MT) is a widely used androgen for all-male fish production in aquaculture. However, the molecular mechanism underlying MT-induced masculinization remains unclear. In this study, we aim to identify the key gene responsible for MT-induced masculinization using the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus [...] Read more.
17α-Methyltestosterone (MT) is a widely used androgen for all-male fish production in aquaculture. However, the molecular mechanism underlying MT-induced masculinization remains unclear. In this study, we aim to identify the key gene responsible for MT-induced masculinization using the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) amhy, dmrt1, and gsdf mutants, which exhibit male-to-female sex reversal. Nile tilapia fry from these three mutant lines were treated with 50 μg/g MT from 5 to 30 days after hatching (dah). The results showed that amhy and gsdf mutants, but not dmrt1 mutants, were masculinized by the MT treatment. Gonadal transcriptome analysis revealed that genes involved in steroidogenesis and germ cell development in MT-treated dmrt1 mutants exhibited a similar expression pattern to that of the wild type (WT) XX. In addition, the dmrt1 mutants cannot be masculinized by co-treatment with MT and the aromatase inhibitor fadrozole. The MT treatment completely blocked early steroidogenic enzyme (Star2, Cyp17a2, and Cyp19a1a) expression independent of amhy, gsdf, and dmrt1. A luciferase analysis showed that MT directly suppressed basal and Sf-1-activated cyp19a1a promoter activity through ara and arb in cultured HEK293 cells. Furthermore, MT treatment inhibited germ cell proliferation in amhy and gsdf mutants but not in dmrt1 mutants. Consistently, dmrt1 expression was induced in MT-treated WT XX, -amhy, and -gsdf mutants. Taken together, these results suggest that dmrt1 is indispensable for MT-induced masculinization in Nile tilapia and that MT functions by inhibiting early steroid synthesis and activating dmrt1 to promote testis development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals)
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13 pages, 4076 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Apoptotic and Antimicrobial Activities of Two Initiator Caspases of Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus
by Hanshuo Zhu, Zihao Yuan, Hang Xu and Li Sun
Genes 2024, 15(5), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15050540 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1423
Abstract
Caspase (CASP) is a protease family that plays a vital role in apoptosis, development, and immune response. Herein, we reported the identification and characterization of two CASPs, AjCASPX1 and AjCASPX2, from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, an important aquaculture species. AjCASPX1/2 share [...] Read more.
Caspase (CASP) is a protease family that plays a vital role in apoptosis, development, and immune response. Herein, we reported the identification and characterization of two CASPs, AjCASPX1 and AjCASPX2, from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, an important aquaculture species. AjCASPX1/2 share similar domain organizations with the vertebrate initiator caspases CASP2/9, including the CARD domain and the p20/p10 subunits with conserved functional motifs. However, compared with human CASP2/9, AjCASPX1/2 possess unique structural features in the linker region between p20 and p10. AjCASPX1, but not AjCASPX2, induced marked apoptosis of human cells by activating CASP3/7. The recombinant proteins of AjCASPX2 and the CARD domain of AjCASPX2 were able to bind to a wide range of bacteria, as well as bacterial cell wall components, and inhibit bacterial growth. AjCASPX1, when expressed in Escherichia coli, was able to kill the host bacteria. Under normal conditions, AjCASPX1 and AjCASPX2 expressions were most abundant in sea cucumber muscle and coelomocytes, respectively. After bacterial infection, both AjCASPX1 and AjCASPX2 expressions were significantly upregulated in sea cucumber tissues and cells. Together, these results indicated that AjCASPX1 and AjCASPX2 were initiator caspases with antimicrobial activity and likely functioned in apoptosis and immune defense against pathogen infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals)
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16 pages, 4485 KiB  
Article
Molecular Cloning of Toll-like Receptor 2 and 4 (SpTLR2, 4) and Expression of TLR-Related Genes from Schizothorax prenanti after Poly (I:C) Stimulation
by Jianlu Zhang, Jiqin Huang and Haitao Zhao
Genes 2023, 14(7), 1388; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071388 - 1 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1639
Abstract
Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is conserved between fish and mammals, except for TLR4, which is absent in most fish. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether TLR4 is expressed in Schizothorax prenanti (SpTLR4). The SpTLR2 and SpTLR4 were cloned [...] Read more.
Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is conserved between fish and mammals, except for TLR4, which is absent in most fish. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether TLR4 is expressed in Schizothorax prenanti (SpTLR4). The SpTLR2 and SpTLR4 were cloned and identified, and their tissue distribution was examined. The cDNA encoding SpTLR4 and SpTLR2 complete coding sequences (CDS) were identified and cloned. Additionally, we examined the expression levels of seven SpTLRs (SpTLR2, 3, 4, 18, 22-1, 22-2, and 22-3), as well as SpMyD88 and SpIRF3 in the liver, head kidney, hindgut, and spleen of S. prenanti, after intraperitoneal injection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)). The SpTLR2 and SpTLR4 shared amino acid sequence identity of 42.15–96.21% and 36.21–93.58%, respectively, with sequences from other vertebrates. SpTLR2 and SpTLR4 were expressed in all S. prenanti tissues examined, particularly in immune-related tissues. Poly (I:C) significantly upregulated most of the genes evaluated in the four immune organs compared with the PBS-control (p < 0.05); expression of these different genes was tissue-specific. Our findings demonstrate that TLR2 and TLR4 are expressed in S. prenanti and that poly (I:C) affects the expression of nine TLR-related genes, which are potentially involved in S. prenanti antiviral immunity or mediating pathological processes with differential kinetics. This will contribute to a better understanding of the roles of these TLR-related genes in antiviral immunity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals)
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27 pages, 13999 KiB  
Article
Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Blue Mussel Mytilus chilensis Reveals Molecular Signatures Facing the Marine Environment
by Cristian Gallardo-Escárate, Valentina Valenzuela-Muñoz, Gustavo Nuñez-Acuña, Diego Valenzuela-Miranda, Fabian J. Tapia, Marco Yévenes, Gonzalo Gajardo, Jorge E. Toro, Pablo A. Oyarzún, Gloria Arriagada, Beatriz Novoa, Antonio Figueras, Steven Roberts and Marco Gerdol
Genes 2023, 14(4), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14040876 - 7 Apr 2023
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4463
Abstract
The blue mussel Mytilus chilensis is an endemic and key socioeconomic species inhabiting the southern coast of Chile. This bivalve species supports a booming aquaculture industry, which entirely relies on artificially collected seeds from natural beds that are translocated to diverse physical–chemical ocean [...] Read more.
The blue mussel Mytilus chilensis is an endemic and key socioeconomic species inhabiting the southern coast of Chile. This bivalve species supports a booming aquaculture industry, which entirely relies on artificially collected seeds from natural beds that are translocated to diverse physical–chemical ocean farming conditions. Furthermore, mussel production is threatened by a broad range of microorganisms, pollution, and environmental stressors that eventually impact its survival and growth. Herein, understanding the genomic basis of the local adaption is pivotal to developing sustainable shellfish aquaculture. We present a high-quality reference genome of M. chilensis, which is the first chromosome-level genome for a Mytilidae member in South America. The assembled genome size was 1.93 Gb, with a contig N50 of 134 Mb. Through Hi-C proximity ligation, 11,868 contigs were clustered, ordered, and assembled into 14 chromosomes in congruence with the karyological evidence. The M. chilensis genome comprises 34,530 genes and 4795 non-coding RNAs. A total of 57% of the genome contains repetitive sequences with predominancy of LTR-retrotransposons and unknown elements. Comparative genome analysis of M. chilensis and M. coruscus was conducted, revealing genic rearrangements distributed into the whole genome. Notably, transposable Steamer-like elements associated with horizontal transmissible cancer were explored in reference genomes, suggesting putative relationships at the chromosome level in Bivalvia. Genome expression analysis was also conducted, showing putative genomic differences between two ecologically different mussel populations. The evidence suggests that local genome adaptation and physiological plasticity can be analyzed to develop sustainable mussel production. The genome of M. chilensis provides pivotal molecular knowledge for the Mytilus complex. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals)
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13 pages, 2123 KiB  
Article
Microsatellite Genome-Wide Database Development for the Commercial Blackhead Seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii)
by Xinhui Luo, Lichun Zhang and Songlin Chen
Genes 2023, 14(3), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14030620 - 1 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2501
Abstract
Simple sequence repeats (SSRs), the markers with the highest polymorphism and co-dominance degrees, offer a crucial genetic research resource. Limited SSR markers in blackhead seabream have been reported. The availability of the blackhead seabream genome assembly provided the opportunity to carry out genome-wide [...] Read more.
Simple sequence repeats (SSRs), the markers with the highest polymorphism and co-dominance degrees, offer a crucial genetic research resource. Limited SSR markers in blackhead seabream have been reported. The availability of the blackhead seabream genome assembly provided the opportunity to carry out genome-wide identification for all microsatellite markers, and bioinformatic analyses open the way for developing a microsatellite genome-wide database in blackhead seabream. In this study, a total of 412,381 SSRs were identified in the 688.08 Mb genome by Krait software. Whole-genome sequences (10×) of 42 samples were aligned against the reference genome and genotyped using the HipSTR tools by comparing and counting repeat number variation across the SSR loci. A total of 156,086 SSRs with a 2–4 bp repeat were genotyped by HipSTR tools, which accounted for 55.78% of the 2–4 bp SSRs in the reference genome. High accuracy of genotyping was observed by comparing HipSTR tools and PCR amplification. A set of 109,131 loci with a number of alleles ≥ 3 and with a number of genotyped individuals ≥ 6 were reserved to constitute the polymorphic SSR database. Fifty-one polymorphic SSR loci were identified through PCR amplification. This strategy to develop polymorphic SSR markers not only obtained a large set of polymorphic SSRs but also eliminated the need for laborious experimental screening. SSR markers developed in this study may facilitate blackhead seabream research, which lays a certain foundation for further gene tagging and genetic linkage analysis, such as marker-assisted selection, genetic mapping, as well as comparative genomic analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals)
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18 pages, 4261 KiB  
Article
Molecular Cloning and Expression Responses of Jarid2b to High-Temperature Treatment in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
by Min Zhou, Zhilei Yao, Min Zhao, Qingfeng Fang, Xiangshan Ji, Hongju Chen and Yan Zhao
Genes 2022, 13(10), 1719; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13101719 - 25 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2317
Abstract
Nile tilapia is a GSD + TE (Genetic Sex Determination + Temperature Effect) fish, and high-temperature treatment during critical thermosensitive periods (TSP) can induce the sex reversal of Nile tilapia genetic females, and brain transcriptomes have revealed the upregulation of Jarid2 (Jumonji and [...] Read more.
Nile tilapia is a GSD + TE (Genetic Sex Determination + Temperature Effect) fish, and high-temperature treatment during critical thermosensitive periods (TSP) can induce the sex reversal of Nile tilapia genetic females, and brain transcriptomes have revealed the upregulation of Jarid2 (Jumonji and AT-rich domain containing 2) expression after 36 °C high-temperature treatment for 12 days during TSP. It was shown that JARID2 forms a complex with polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that catalyzed H3K27me3, which was strongly associated with transcriptional repression. In this study, Jarid2b was cloned and characterized in Nile tilapia, which was highly conserved among the analyzed fish species. The expression of Jarid2b was upregulated in the gonad of 21 dpf XX genetic females after 12-day high-temperature treatment and reached a similar level to that of males. Similar responses to high-temperature treatment also appeared in the brain, heart, liver, muscle, eye, and skin tissues. Interestingly, Jarid2b expression was only in response to high-temperature treatment, and not to 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) or letrozole treatments; although, these treatments can also induce the sex reversal of genetic Nile tilapia females. Further studies revealed that Jarid2b responded rapidly at the 8th hour after high-temperature treatment. Considering that JARID2 can recruit PRC2 and establish H3K27me3, we speculated that it might be an upstream gene participating in the regulation of Nile tilapia GSD + TE through regulating the H3K27 methylation level at the locus of many sex differentiation-related genes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Genomics in Aquatic Animals)
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