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Vasa Is a Potential Germ Cell Marker in Leopard Coral Grouper (Plectropomus leopardus).

ABSTRACT: Vasa (Ddx4, DEAD box polypeptide 4), an extremely specific marker of germ cells in vivo, is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that plays an essential role in germ cell development and gametogenesis. However, the expression and function information about this gene in groupers remains lacking. Here, vasa homolog termed Plvasa was isolated and identified Plvasa as a putative germ cell marker in the leopard coral grouper, (Plectropomus leopardus). Results indicated that Plvasa contained 17 exons in the genomic sequence and 9 conserved motifs of the DEAD-box protein by sequence analysis. The sequence comparison, phylogenetic analyses and synteny analyses showed that Plvasa was homologous with other teleosts. Additionally, the expression of Plvasa was significantly higher in gonads than in other tissues in adult individuals (p < 0.05). Further, the distribution of Plvasa revealed that it was only expressed in the germ cells, such as spermatids, germline stem cells and oocytes at different stages, and could not be detected in the somatic cells of gonads. The current study verified that the Plvasa gene is a valuable molecular marker of germ cells in leopard coral grouper, which potentially plays an important role in investigating the genesis and development of teleost germ cells.

SUBMITTER: Wang M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9222667 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary lysine level on growth performance and protein metabolism of juvenile leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) and thereby obtained the optimal dietary lysine requirement of P. leopardus. Six isoproteic and isolipidic experimental diets were formulated to contain 1.10%, 1.69%, 2.30%, 3.08%, 3.56%, and 4.36% lysine of diets, respectively. Each diet was assigned at random to triplicate groups of 25 juveniles (initial mean weight is 10.57 g) per tank in a flow-through mariculture system maintained at 27-30°C. Dietary inclusion of 2.30-3.08% lysine improved the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of juveniles (P < 0.05). The intestinal digestive enzyme (trypsin, amylase, and lipase) activities were overall enhanced by dietary inclusion of 3.08-3.56% lysine (P < 0.05). The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was activated in fish fed diets with 1.69-2.30% lysine by upregulating the relative expression levels of hepatic TOR and S6K1 (p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1) but downregulating the relative expression level of hepatic 4E-BP2 (eIF4E-binding protein 2). Conversely, the amino acid response signaling pathway was inhibited in fish fed diet with 2.30% lysine by downregulating the relative expression levels of hepatic GCN2 (general control nondepressible 2), ATF3 (activating transcription factor 3), ATF4a (activating transcription factor 4a), and ATF4b (activating transcription factor 4b). Additionally, dietary 1.69-3.08% lysine enhanced the plasma total protein level and hepatic lysine α-ketoglutarate reductase activity but depressed the blood urea nitrogen level and hepatic adenosine monophosphate deaminase activity (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary 3.08% lysine increased the contents of whole-body crude protein and total amino acids, while 1.69%-4.36% lysine depressed the whole-body lipid content (P < 0.05). These results indicated that optimal dietary lysine increased the digestive enzyme activities, promoted protein synthesis but depressed protein degradation, and thereby improved the growth performance of P. leopardus. Based on the second-order polynomial model, the optimal lysine requirement of juvenile P. leopardus for WGR, FCR, and lysine deposition was 2.60%-2.97% of diets (4.91%-5.60% of dietary protein).

Project description:Published data were used to model the transfer of ciguatoxins (CTX) across three trophic levels of a marine food chain on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, to produce a mildly toxic common coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus), one of the most targeted food fishes on the GBR. Our model generated a 1.6 kg grouper with a flesh concentration of 0.1 µg/kg of Pacific-ciguatoxin-1 (P-CTX-1 = CTX1B) from 1.1 to 4.3 µg of P-CTX-1 equivalents (eq.) entering the food chain from 0.7 to 2.7 million benthic dinoflagellates (Gambierdiscus sp.) producing 1.6 pg/cell of the P-CTX-1 precursor, P-CTX-4B (CTX4B). We simulated the food chain transfer of ciguatoxins via surgeonfishes by modelling Ctenochaetus striatus feeding on turf algae. A C. striatus feeding on ≥1000 Gambierdiscus/cm2 of turf algae accumulates sufficient toxin in <2 days that when preyed on, produces a 1.6 kg common coral trout with a flesh concentration of 0.1 µg/kg P-CTX-1. Our model shows that even transient blooms of highly ciguatoxic Gambierdiscus can generate ciguateric fishes. In contrast, sparse cell densities of ≤10 Gambierdiscus/cm2 are unlikely to pose a significant risk, at least in areas where the P-CTX-1 family of ciguatoxins predominate. The ciguatera risk from intermediate Gambierdiscus densities (~100 cells/cm2) is more difficult to assess, as it requires feeding times for surgeonfish (~4-14 days) that overlap with turnover rates of turf algae that are grazed by herbivorous fishes, at least in regions such as the GBR, where stocks of herbivorous fishes are not impacted by fishing. We use our model to explore how the duration of ciguatoxic Gambierdiscus blooms, the type of ciguatoxins they produce, and fish feeding behaviours can produce differences in relative toxicities between trophic levels. Our simple model indicates thresholds for the design of risk and mitigation strategies for ciguatera and the variables that can be manipulated to explore alternate scenarios for the accumulation and transfer of P-CTX-1 analogues through marine food chains and, potentially, for other ciguatoxins in other regions, as more data become available.

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Vasa Is a Potential Germ Cell Marker in Leopard Coral Grouper (Plectropomus leopardus).

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