COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
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2021
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IF 2.231
Mi Ou,Kunci Chen,Dandan Gao,Yanduo Wu,Qing Luo,Haiyang Liu,Jian Zhao
Dmrt1 is an important transcriptional regulator that plays critical role in male gonadogenesis, testicular differentiation and development. In this study, Dmrt1 was cloned from blotched snakehead ( Channa maculata ) , which is designated as CmDmrt1 . Cm Dmrt1 encoded a putative protein with 293 amino acids and presented an extremely conserved DM domain. It was nearly expressed in the gonads, and the expression was more than 15 times higher in the testis than in the ovary. 1851 bp promoter sequence of CmDmrt1 was characterized and the methylation levels of the CpG sites were analyzed to detect sex-related differences. A significant negative correlation between CmDmrt1 expression and CpG methylation level of its promoter was found in the testis and ovary. During gonadal development, CmDmrt1 transcription displayed strong male-biased expression patterns, increased with the maturation of testis and reached the peak at 195 days after hatching (dah), which indicates a significant role of Dmrt1 in spermatogenesis. Steroid treatment could influence CmDmrt1 expression, and long-term 17β-estradiol (E2) treatment could induce the male-to-female secondary sex reversal (SSR), which resulted in the differentiated testis transformed to ovary or ovotestis. Meanwhile, CmDmrt1 expression was down-regulated to fairly low level in the ovary of the SSR XY fish, which was similar to that in normal XX females ovary. Our research illustrates that Dmrt1 is linked to testis differentiation and spermatogenesis in blotched snakehead, providing information for functional studies on sex differentiation and gonadal development of C. maculata , and scientific basis for the production practice of all-male snakehead breeding.
研究领域:
分子生物学
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发育生物学
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水产养殖
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遗传学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
·
2026
·Vol. 27
·期 19
·8588
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IF 5.6
Junqi Qin,Yueying Deng,Yuntao Lu,Yang Zhang,Luping Liu,Qing Luo,Haiyang Liu,Shuzhan Fei,Yuandong Sun,Mi Ou
Anti-Müllerian hormone (Amh) is a key regulator of sex determination and differentiation in fish. In this study, we identified and characterized a single-copyAmhortholog, designatedCmAmh, in blotched snakehead (Channa maculata), an economically important species in China. The cDNA spans 2340 bp and encodes a 545-amino-acid protein with conserved AMH-N and TGF-β domains.CmAmhexhibited pronounced male-biased gonadal expression, with transcript levels in testes markedly exceeding those in ovaries across all developmental stages (45~365 days post-hatching (dph)). Cellular localization revealedCmAmhtranscripts in the Sertoli cells and spermatogonia of the testis and, more weakly, in the oogonia and primary oocytes of the ovary, suggesting a primary role in spermatogenesis and a potential modulatory function in early oogenesis. A strong inverse correlation between promoter CpG methylation and transcriptional activity, hypermethylation in ovaries (82.5~89.7%) versus hypomethylation (15.8~19.1%) in testes, indicated epigenetic regulation, which functionally integrates with hormonal signaling: 17β-estradiol (E2) suppressed, whereas methyltestosterone (MT) upregulatedCmAmhexpression. Long-term E2exposure induced male-to-female secondary sex reversal (SSR) in 26.7% of XY individuals, whereas MT failed to reverse XX fish, indicating thatCmAmhmodulation alone is insufficient to override ovarian fate. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis achieved 40~45% editing efficiency, predominantly generating frameshift alleles, providing a platform for future functional studies. Collectively, these findings positionCmAmhas a hormone-responsive nodal point within a broader sex-differentiation network. This work provides a theoretical foundation for sex-control strategies inC. maculataaquaculture, while future studies should focus on homozygous mutant generation to definitively establish its loss-of-function phenotype and regulatory networks.
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DOI
高影响因子
Antioxidants
·
2025
·Vol. 14
·期 9
·1084
·
IF 6.6
Mi Ou,Ziwen Yang,Yuntao Lu,Yang Zhang,Yang Zou,Yueying Deng,Yuandong Sun,Haiyang Liu,Qing Luo,Shuzhan Fei,Kunci Chen,Dandan Gao,Jian Zhao
The ecological impact of microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems has received growing scientific attention, although research on freshwater species remains limited compared to marine organisms. This study investigates the individual and combined toxicological impacts of polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) on hybrid snakehead (Channa maculata♀ ×Channa argus♂), a commercially important freshwater fish. PSNPs inhibited growth, induced hepatic and intestinal lesions, and delayed ovarian development, co-exposure with DBP exacerbated these effects. qPCR analysis revealed significant up-regulation of inflammation-related genes in the liver but inhibitory effects in the intestines, indicating that PSNPs and DBP provoke immune modulation and systemic pro-inflammatory responses. Furthermore, PSNPs and DBP induced oxidative damage in the liver and intestines by affecting antioxidant enzyme activity. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that PSNPs and DBP altered intestinal microbiota composition, particularly reducing Proteobacteria abundance. Correlation analyses indicated negative associations between the abundances of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes and antioxidant parameters (SOD and MDA), suggesting microbiota-mediated impacts on host metabolism and physiological health. These findings highlight the ecological threat of microplastics and phthalates in freshwater environments and underscore the need for targeted conservation strategies.
研究领域:
环境毒理学
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水生生态学
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生态毒理学
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微塑料污染
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鱼类生理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Aquaculture Reports
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2025
·
IF 3.7
Mi Ou,Xiaotian Zhang,Yang Zhang,Yuntao Lu,Ziwen Yang,Kunci Chen,Haiyang Liu,Qing Luo,Shuzhan Fei,Jian Zhao
Blotched snakehead ( Channa maculata ) exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males demonstrating superior growth rates and larger body sizes than females, rendering all-male aquaculture populations economically and ecologically advantageous. However, the histological characteristics during E 2 -induced sex reversal and the transcriptional regulation following hormonal treatment remain insufficiently explored. This study combined histological and transcriptomic analyses to investigate gonadal development and gene expression dynamics during 17β-estradiol (E 2 )-induced feminization of XY-genotype C. maculata . By 20 days post-fertilization (dpf), both E 2- treated groups displayed paired primordial gonads with undifferentiated germ and somatic cells. Initial signs of ovarian differentiation (e.g., oogonia and ovarian cavity) emerged in the 60 mg/kg E 2 -treated group at 30 dpf, whereas the 30 mg/kg group remained undifferentiated, demonstrating dose-dependent acceleration of gonadal development. Subsequent histological analysis confirmed that dietary administration of 30 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg E 2 from 15 to 45 dpf successfully induced sex reversal in XY-genotype individuals. The 30 mg/kg E 2 -treated group achieved a 70 % sex reversal rate, with gonads developing into functional ovaries. In contrast, although the 60 mg/kg E 2 -treated group exhibited accelerated feminization, this dosage concurrently induced gonadal degeneration in a subset of individuals, resulting in a significantly lower final reversal rate of 50 %. Transcriptome profiling identified E 2 -mediated up-regulation of oocyte development-associated genes ( bmp15 , dnd1 , pat12 , nanos3 , gdf9 , ybx2 , zar1 , figla , and zp3 ) and significant down-regulation of male-related genes ( amh , amhr2 , dmrt1 , cyp17a1/2 , cyp11a1 , cyp11b , hsd11b2 , hsd17b3 , gsdf , inha , inhbba , tgfb3a , smad1/6b/9 , bmpr1bb , and bmpr2 ) in ovaries from XY neofemales. qPCR validation of eight randomly selected differentially expressed genes (DEGs) corroborated transcriptomic findings, confirming data reliability. Functional enrichment analysis further implicated E 2 in modulating gonadal development and sex differentiation through key pathways, including the TGF-β signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. By integrating histological and transcriptomic data, this study elucidates the molecular and developmental basis of E2-induced feminization in C. maculata , offering critical insights for advancing sex control strategies in this commercially significant species.
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Fishes
·
2024
·Vol. 9
·期 4
·120
·
IF 2.1
Xiaotian Zhang,Yuxia Wu,Yang Zhang,Jin Zhang,Kunci Chen,Haiyang Liu,Qing Luo,Shuzhan Fei,Jian Zhao,Mi Ou
Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play central roles in the growth and development of vertebrates. Blotched snakehead (Channa maculata), an economically significant fish, exhibits obvious sexual dimorphism and achieves sexual maturity in one year. However, the role of IGFs inC. maculataremains unknown. ThreeIGFgenes were identified inC. maculata, designated asCmIGF1-1,CmIGF1-2, andCmIGF2. The cDNA sequences of these genes are 1184, 655, and 695 bp, encoding putative proteins of 168, 131, and 215 amino acids, respectively, and all three proteins contain a conserved IGF domain. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) revealed the predominant expression ofCmIGFsin the liver of adult fish, with higher expression levels observed in males. Notably,CmIGF1-1,CmIGF1-2, andCmIGF2displayed analogous expression profiles in the liver across various developmental stages, peaking at 365 days after hatching (dah). Subsequently, 600 individuals at 75 dah, at an early developmental stage, were randomly divided equally into six groups and reared in aerated 2 m × 2 m × 2 m cement ponds at 26.0 ± 1.0 °C. Following a one-week acclimatization period, fish without observed abnormalities were intraperitoneally injected with either 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) or 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) at a dose of 10 μg/g body weight. Three groups underwent short-term hormone treatment, and the remaining three groups underwent long-term hormone treatment, which included five injections at two-week intervals over ten weeks. The analysis ofCmIGFsexpression levels in the liver under different hormone treatments revealed that EE2suppressed the expression ofCmIGF1-1andCmIGF1-2while promotingCmIGF2expression. In females, MT up-regulated the expression ofCmIGF1-1andCmIGF2in a time-dependent manner, but consistently inhibitedCmIGF2expression. In males, MT promoted the expression ofCmIGFsin a time-dependent manner, reaching peak levels forCmIGF1-1,CmIGF1-2, andCmIGF2after 8, 10, and 2 weeks of injection, respectively. Additionally,CmIGF1andCmIGF2might exhibit a complementary relationship, with a compensatory increase inCmIGF2expression in response to lowCmIGF1concentration. These findings highlight the potential key role of IGFs upon growth and their regulation by sex steroid hormones inC. maculata, providing a crucial foundation for future research aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth dimorphism between female and male blotched snakeheads.
研究领域:
鱼类生理学
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分子生物学
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内分泌学
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
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