Dataset Information

Correlations of age and growth rate with microbiota composition in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae.

ABSTRACT: Little information is available on the link between host development (growth rate and ontogeny) and the composition of the microbiota in fish larvae. This study was carried out to examine potential correlations of microbiota composition with age and growth rate of Atlantic cod larvae. Small and large cod larvae of the same age, representing slow and fast growing individuals, were sampled 10 times during a period of 42 days post hatching (dph), and the composition of the larval microbiota was investigated using a PCR/DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) strategy. We found significant differences in the intestinal microbiota of small and large larvae of the same age for 4 of the 10 age stages studied. We further found that the variation in the composition of the larval microbiota was more strongly correlated to age than to growth rate for larvae up to 28 dph, whereas for the older larvae growth rate and age was equally correlated to the composition of the microbiota. These results indicate that larval development may structure the microbiota through a change in selection pressure due to host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions, and that the composition of the microbiota may influence larval development through improved energy gain.

SUBMITTER: Trinh LTT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5561051 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Correlations of age and growth rate with microbiota composition in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae.

Trinh Ly T T LTT Bakke Ingrid I Vadstein Olav O

Scientific reports 20170817 1

Little information is available on the link between host development (growth rate and ontogeny) and the composition of the microbiota in fish larvae. This study was carried out to examine potential correlations of microbiota composition with age and growth rate of Atlantic cod larvae. Small and large cod larvae of the same age, representing slow and fast growing individuals, were sampled 10 times during a period of 42 days post hatching (dph), and the composition of the larval microbiota was inv ...[more]

PMID: 28819161

Similar Datasets

Project description:The isotopic composition of inorganic carbon in otoliths (δ13Coto) can be a useful tracer of metabolic rates and a method to study ecophysiology in wild fish. We evaluated environmental and physiological sources of δ13Coto variation in Icelandic and Northeast Arctic (NEA) cod (Gadus morhua) over the years 1914-2013. Individual annual growth increments of otoliths formed at age 3 and 8 were micromilled and measured by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Simultaneously, all annual increment widths of the otoliths were measured providing a proxy of fish somatic growth. We hypothesized that changes in the physiological state of the organism, reflected by the isotopic composition of otoliths, can affect the growth rate. Using univariate and multivariate mixed-effects models we estimated conditional correlations between carbon isotopic composition and growth of fish at different levels (within individuals, between individuals, and between years), controlling for intrinsic and extrinsic effects on both otolith measurements. δ13Coto was correlated with growth within individuals and between years, which was attributed to the intrinsic effects (fish age or total length). There was no significant correlation between δ13Coto and growth between individuals, which suggests that caution is needed when interpreting δ13Coto signals. We found a significant decrease in δ13Coto through the century which was explained by the oceanic Suess effect-admixture of isotopically light carbon from fossil fuel. We calculated the proportion of the respired carbon in otolith carbonate (Cresp) using carbon isotopic composition in diet and dissolved inorganic carbon of the seawater. This approach allowed us to correct the values for each stock in relation to these two environmental baselines. Cresp was on average 0.275 and 0.295 in Icelandic and NEA stock, respectively. Our results provide an insight into the physiological basis for differences in growth characteristics between these two cod stocks, and how that may vary over time.

Project description:BackgroundHemoglobin (Hb) polymorphism, assessed by protein gel electrophoresis, has been used almost exclusively to characterize the genetic structure of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) populations and to establish correlations with phenotypic traits such as Hb oxygen binding capacity, temperature tolerance and growth characteristics. The genetic system used to explain the results of gel electrophoresis entails the presence of one polymorphic locus with two major alleles (HbI-1; HbI-2). However, vertebrates have more than one gene encoding Hbs and recent studies have reported that more than one Hb gene is present in Atlantic cod. These observations prompted us to re-evaluate the number of Hb genes expressed in Atlantic cod, and to perform an in depth search for polymorphisms that might produce relevant phenotypes for breeding programs.ResultsAnalysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) led to the identification of nine distinct Hb transcripts; four corresponding to the alpha Hb gene family and five to the beta Hb gene family. To gain insights about the Hb genes encoding these transcripts, genomic sequence data was generated from heterozygous (HbI-1/2) parents and fifteen progeny; five of each HbI type, i.e., HbI-1/1, HbI-1/2 and HbI-2/2. beta Hb genes displayed more polymorphism than alpha Hb genes. Two major allele types (beta1A and beta1B) that differ by two linked non-synonymous substitutions (Met55Val and Lys62Ala) were found in the beta1 Hb gene, and the distribution of these beta1A and beta1B alleles among individuals was congruent with that of the HbI-1 and HbI-2 alleles determined by protein gel electrophoresis. RT-PCR and Q-PCR analysis of the nine Hb genes indicates that all genes are expressed in adult fish, but their level of expression varies greatly; higher expression of almost all Hb genes was found in individuals displaying the HbI-2/2 electrophoretic type.ConclusionThis study indicates that more Hb genes are present and expressed in adult Atlantic cod than previously documented. Our finding that nine Hb genes are expressed simultaneously in adult fish suggests that Atlantic cod, similarly to fish such as rainbow trout, carp, and goldfish, might be able to respond to environmental challenges such as chronic hypoxia or long-term changes in temperature by altering the level of expression of these genes. In this context, the role of the non-conservative substitution Lys62Ala found in the beta1 Hb gene, which appears to explain the occurrence of the HbI-1 and HbI-2 alleles described by gel electrophoresis, and which was found to be present in other fish such as eel, emerald rockcod, rainbow trout and moray, requires further investigation.

Project description:BackgroundRegulation of gene expression plays a central role in embryonic development. Early stages are controlled by gametic transcripts, which are subsequently substituted with transcripts from the genome of the zygote. Transcriptomic analyses provide an efficient approach to explore the temporal gene expression profiles in embryos and to search for the developmental regulators. We report a study of early Atlantic cod development that used a genome-wide oligonucleotide microarray to examine the composition and putative roles of polyadenylated transcripts.ResultsThe analyses were carried out in unfertilized oocytes, newly fertilized oocytes and embryos at the stages of mid-blastula transition and segmentation. Numerous genes transcribed in oocytes are involved in multiple aspects of cell maintenance and protection, including metabolism, signal perception and transduction, RNA processing, cell cycle, defense against pathogens and DNA damage. Transcripts found in unfertilized oocytes also encoded a large number of proteins implicated in cell adherence, tight junction and focal adhesion, suggesting high complexity in terms of structure and cellular interactions in embryos prior to midblastula transition (MBT). Prezygotic transcripts included multiple regulators that are most likely involved in developmental processes that take place long after fertilization, such as components of ErbB, hedgehog, notch, retinoid, TGFb, VEGF and Wnt signaling pathways, as well as transcripts involved in the development of nervous system. The major event of MBT was the activation of a large group of histones and other genes that modify chromatin structure preceding massive gene expression changes. A hallmark of events observed during segmentation was the induction of multiple transcription factors, including a large group of homeobox proteins in pace with decay of a large fraction of maternal transcripts. Microarray analyses detected a suite of master developmental regulators that control differentiation and maintenance of diverse cell lineages.ConclusionsTranscriptome profiling of the early stages in Atlantic cod revealed the presence of transcripts involved in patterning and development of tissues and organs long before activation of the zygotic genome. The switch from maternal to zygotic developmental programs is associated with large-scale modification of chromosomes.

Dataset Information

Correlations of age and growth rate with microbiota composition in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae.

Publications

Correlations of age and growth rate with microbiota composition in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets