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Fish Gamete and Embryo Quality: Molecular Advances and Biotechnological Applications

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 July 2024) | Viewed by 3237

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Núcleo de Investigación en Producción Alimentaria, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile
Interests: cellular cryopreservation; cellular ultrastructure; mitochondrial dynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In animal improvement programs, the integration of biotechnological tools with in vitro management techniques for fish gametes and embryos has become indispensable for optimizing the reproductive and productive outcomes of species with biological, ecological, and commercial significance. To achieve this, it is crucial to consider fundamental cellular and molecular aspects that enable the identification of potential biomarkers at the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels, thereby establishing associations with gamete quality and traceability of embryonic development. This comprehensive approach encompasses reproductive, physiological, and nutritional factors in fish.

The primary objective of this Special Issue topic is to highlight potential biomarkers for quality assessment at the cellular and molecular levels in sperm, oocytes, and fish embryos. Furthermore, we explore the impacts of utilizing biotechnological tools, such as cell cryopreservation, in this context. By investigating these aspects, we aim to shed light on the intricate relationships between molecular markers, gamete quality, and embryonic development, offering valuable insights for the enhancement of animal improvement programs.

Dr. Elias Gustavo Figueroa Villalobos
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • reproduction
  • physiology
  • nutrition
  • analysis methods
  • protocols
  • genomics
  • transcriptomics
  • proteomics
  • ROS
  • enzymatic activity
  • spermatozoa
  • oocytes
  • embryos
  • cryopreservation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1089 KiB  
Article
Gene Expression and Phenotypic Assessment of Egg Quality across Developmental Stages of Atlantic Cod throughout the Spawning Season
by María Fernández Míguez, Pablo Presa, Velmurugu Puvanendran, Helge Tveiten, Øyvind J. Hansen and Montse Pérez
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(13), 7488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137488 - 8 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1520
Abstract
Egg quality in fishes is commonly determined by fertilisation success and cleavage patterns as a phenotypic outcome of underlying regulatory mechanisms. Although these phenotypic estimators of egg quality are useful in farming conditions, these “good quality” egg batches do not always translate to [...] Read more.
Egg quality in fishes is commonly determined by fertilisation success and cleavage patterns as a phenotypic outcome of underlying regulatory mechanisms. Although these phenotypic estimators of egg quality are useful in farming conditions, these “good quality” egg batches do not always translate to good larval growth and survival. The identification of genes involved in embryonic development may help find links between genetic factors of maternal origin and egg quality. Herein, the relative expression of seven stage-specific developmental genes of Atlantic cod was analysed using quantitative PCR to understand the function during embryogenesis and its relationship with egg quality. Genes ccnb2 and pvalb1 showed significant differential expression between developmental stages and significant upregulation from blastula and somite stages, respectively. The comparison of spawning batches showed that the relative gene expression of genes ccnb2, acta, tnnt3 and pvalb1 was significantly higher from the middle of the spawning season where phenotypic quality estimators establish the best egg quality. Moreover, a positive significant correlation was observed between quality estimators based on egg morphology and the genetic expression of genes acta and acta1 during somitogenesis. This study suggests that the combination of quality estimators, genetics and batch timing could help optimise reproductive protocols for commercial stocks of Atlantic cod. Full article
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14 pages, 9528 KiB  
Article
DNA Methylation Mediates Sperm Quality via piwil1 and piwil2 Regulation in Japanese Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)
by Wenyu Zong, Yapeng Wang, Lingqun Zhang, Wei Lu, Weigang Li, Fengchi Wang and Jie Cheng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(11), 5935; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25115935 - 29 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1121
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important way to regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. In order to reveal the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of germ cell-specific piwi gene expression during spermatogenesis of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), the expression profiles of [...] Read more.
DNA methylation is an important way to regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. In order to reveal the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of germ cell-specific piwi gene expression during spermatogenesis of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), the expression profiles of piwil1 (piwi-like 1) and piwil2 (piwi-like 2) genes in the gonads of female, male, and sex-reversed pseudo-male P. olivaceus were analyzed, and the dynamic of DNA methylation was investigated. As a result, piwil1 and piwil2 genes were highly expressed in the testis of both male and pseudo-male P. olivaceus, with significant variation among male individuals. The DNA methylation levels in the promoter regions of both piwil1 and piwil2 were negatively correlated with their expression levels, which may contribute to the transcriptional regulation of piwi genes during spermatogenesis. There was also sperm quality variation among male P. olivaceus, and the sperm curvilinear velocity was positively correlated with the expression of both piwil1 and piwil2 genes. These results indicated that the DNA methylation in piwil1 and piwil2 promoter regions may affect the initiation of piwi gene transcription, thereby regulating gene expression and further affecting the spermatogenesis process and gamete quality in P. olivaceus. Full article
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