{"title":"Molecular features and expression characteristics of a novel tumour necrosis factor-α paralog from snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii).","authors":"Jagannivasan Amritha, Thangalazhy Gopakumar Sumithra, Sulumane Ramachandra Krupesha Sharma, Velappan Nair Anusree, Nikathil Raveendranathan Dhanutha, Peter Reynold, Joseph Chakkalakkal George, Suresh Gayathri, Purackattu Gop Ambarish, Achamveetil Gopalakrishnan","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a pivotal cytokine in vertebrate immunity. Considering the increasing scientific interest for TNF-α in piscine biology, the paper detailed the characteristics of a novel tnf-α gene from a high-value mariculture species, Trachinotus blochii. The tbtnf-α complementary DNA (cDNA) of 1385 bp encoded an open reading frame of 762 bp, 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of 484 bp and 5' UTR of 139 bp. The deduced Tbtnf-α1 showed the highest sequence identity to that of Seriola dumerili (∼83%). The comparative phylogenetics identified the protein as the TNF-α paralog 1. Tbtnf-α1 displayed all the hallmark features of other teleost TNF-α, suggesting similar immune-related functions. However, the Tbtnf-α1 was predicted to be more acidic and less thermostable. The study generated the three-dimensional (3-D) structure model of Tbtnfα-1 based on the protein sequence that can be applied in future research. The genomic organization of tbtnfα-1 contained four exons and three introns. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis in healthy conditions showed the constitutive expression and wide distribution of tbtnfα-1 in a tissue-specific manner, with maximum expression in the kidney. As in silico analysis predicted the biological function of the novel TNF-α as a regulator in the defence response to bacterial infection, functional validation was done through the expression analysis following exposure to a marine pathogen (Vibrio harveyi) challenge. The results showed that the expression of tbtnf-α1 in the liver, spleen, heart, gill and kidney was significantly upregulated compared to the control fish after the challenge at differential time points post-infection. The study also demonstrated the kinetics of tbtnfα-1 expression in the liver, spleen, heart, gill and kidney at 6 to 48 h post-infection, and the results showed the peak expression at 24 h in all the tissues followed by a drop in the expression. Briefly, the present study detailed the sequence, structural and functional characteristics of tnf-α1 in the immune response of silver pompano.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144110449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karina González, Daniel Gomez-Uchida, Chris Harrod
{"title":"Unexpected trophic diversity in the endemic fish Orestias chungarensis in a high-altitude freshwater ecosystem, Lake Chungará (4520 m), northern Chile.","authors":"Karina González, Daniel Gomez-Uchida, Chris Harrod","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Orestias chungarensis Vila & Pinto, 1986 is a small-bodied (max fork length = 120 mm) cyprinodontiform fish with a very restricted global distribution. The species is limited to a single, small (283 km<sup>2</sup>), high-altitude (4520 m) catchment located in the Altiplano of northern Chile. Until the late 20th century, O. chungarensis was the only fish species inhabiting both Lake Chungará and its main afferent river, the River Chungará. The introduction of rainbow trout [Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)] at this time raised concerns for the long-term conservation of Orestias. By 2017, O. chungarensis were no longer present in the River Chungará but remain relatively numerous in Lake Chungará. Although O. chungarensis are of elevated conservation concern, little is known regarding their ecology, and the few studies conducted have relied on individuals captured from shallow littoral habitats. Here, we captured O. chungarensis from different lake habitats and analysed multi-tissue stable isotopes (δ<sup>13</sup>C, δ<sup>15</sup>N, δ<sup>34</sup>S) and stomach contents to characterise their trophic ecology. We also used geometric morphometrics to analyse any putative habitat-associated variation in body shape. O. chungarensis showed very wide variation in their stable isotope values (range: δ<sup>13</sup>C = -15.1 to -8.0‰; δ<sup>15</sup>N = 8.9-14.1‰; δ<sup>34</sup>S = -10.5-1.7‰). A k-means cluster analysis indicated that individuals could be best classified into two groups in stable isotope space. A discriminant function analysis supported the separation of the sampled population into two groups (jack-knifed classification success = 98%). Individuals belonging to either a putative littoral group (<sup>13</sup>C-enriched, <sup>15</sup>N-depleted and <sup>34</sup>S-depleted) or a group associated with pelagic-derived materials (<sup>13</sup>C-depleted, <sup>15</sup>N-enriched, <sup>34</sup>S-enriched), which likely fed offshore or in deeper waters. Stomach contents results showed that O. chungarensis from the two putative groups had consumed similar prey prior to capture, feeding mainly on benthic macroinvertebrates (amphipods, chironomid larvae and pupae and gastropods). Mixing models analysis showed a broadly similar diet between groups, but the scale of contribution to the assimilated diet differed between groups. Comparisons of stable isotope niche size and overlap showed limited niche overlap, providing more evidence for differential foraging patterns. The dichotomy between the results from stable isotope and stomach content analysis suggests that O. chungarensis individuals forage on taxonomically similar diets, but their prey are fuelled from materials derived from different lake habitats (littoral and open-water). Given the remarkable plasticity found in the genus, our results could reflect the existence of a previously unrecognised ecotype.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144119896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Size and sex segregation of aggregating blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus.","authors":"Savannah M Arvin, Stephen M Kajiura","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) form large seasonal aggregations numbering in the thousands. These aggregations are typically spotted from the air which makes it impossible to determine the sex and size distribution. We sampled C. limbatus that occur in large aggregations off the coast of southeast Florida. The aggregations were comprised primarily of adult male sharks (95.2%) that were of a similar size (170.8 ± 8.07 SD cm). This provides evidence of both size and sex segregations for this species during the overwintering phase of their annual migration.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144119893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mônica Camila Lourenço, Gabriel Canani, Maria Cristina Oddone
{"title":"Reproductive biology, distribution and abundance of Squalus megalops (Macleay, 1881) and Squalus mitsukurii (Jordan & Snyder, 1903) off southern Brazil, southwest Atlantic.","authors":"Mônica Camila Lourenço, Gabriel Canani, Maria Cristina Oddone","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Squalus megalops and Squalus mitsukurii are recognized as the most abundant Squalus species in the southern Brazil region. Currently, S. megalops is listed as 'least concern' (LC) and S. mitsukurii as 'endangered' (EN). However, at the regional level, both species are classified as 'data deficient' - DD, due to the lack of population local data. In this context, the present study aimed to determine the reproductive biology parameters of these species. In addition, insights on their abundance were provided. Research cruises using bottom trawls were conducted on the continental shelf off southern Brazil between 2001 and 2002. A total of 298 specimens of S. megalops (♂143|♀156) and 297 specimens of S. mitsukurii (♂129|♀166) were captured. For S. megalops, the L50 was 38.2 cm for males and 50.22 cm for females, with ovarian fecundity ranging from 1 to 4 vitellogenic follicles and uterine fecundity from 1 to 4 embryos. S. mitsukurii presented an L50 of 54.12 cm for males and 66.4 cm for females, with ovarian fecundity ranging from 1 to 8 vitellogenic follicles and uterine fecundity ranging from 1 to 8 embryos. The highest catch per unit of effort (CPUE) for S. megalops was in zone B (2360.43 ind/mn<sup>2</sup>) and for S. mitsukurii in zone A (5287.97 ind/mn<sup>2</sup>). The study observed differences in the reproductive stages and fecundity of both species compared to other studies for the same species. In southern Brazil, the calculated L50 sizes were smaller than those obtained in the northeast, potentially due to higher fishing pressure. Obtaining data on poorly known species reinforces the importance of monitoring fisheries in the region. The maturity data presented are crucial for species classified as DD, such as S. megalops and S. mitsukurii in southern Brazil, potentially generating new information to support local fisheries management.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144119888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mboglen David, Narcisse Ebango Ngando, Yongfu Shen, Yunkai Li
{"title":"Deciphering age, growth and maturity patterns in one of the smallest but data-deficient shark species, slendertail lanternshark (Etmopterus molleri), from the East China Sea.","authors":"Mboglen David, Narcisse Ebango Ngando, Yongfu Shen, Yunkai Li","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Deep-sea sharks represent a vulnerable group due to their unique life-history traits, including slow growth and late maturity. This study aims to fill knowledge gaps on key demographic parameters of Etmopterus molleri, a lanternshark species, one of the smallest shark species recorded, classified as 'data deficient' in the East China Sea. A total of 280 specimens (165 females and 115 males) were analysed to estimate age, growth and sexual maturity. Post-cranial vertebral section was treated with cobalt nitrate hexahydrate for improved age determination. Age estimation from band pair ranged from 0 to 13 in females and from 1 to 12 in males [coefficient of variation (CV) = 2.27%, average percent error (APE) = 1.60%]. The von Bertalanffy curve with the Bayesian growth Markov chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) models using observed and back-calculated data provides the best-fit estimation compared to all models, demonstrating an asymptotic length of L<sub>∞</sub> = 391.61 ± 10.06 mm for males and L<sub>∞</sub> = 486.28 ± 14.71 mm for females, with a common birth size (L<sub>0</sub>) of around 100 mm. The growth completion rates were (k) of 0.16/year for the males and 0.11/year for the females, marking sexual dimorphism, with females reaching larger sizes (L<sub>50</sub> = 287.78 mm) and maturing later (A<sub>50</sub> = 6.57 years) than males (L<sub>50</sub> = 260.33 mm, A<sub>50</sub> = 4.77 years). This maturity life strategy, typical of deep-sea elasmobranchs, underscores the vulnerability of E. molleri. A prudent management approach and continuous monitoring are essential for collecting more data to understand their ecology and preserve their fragile future.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144093804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luke W J Cameron, Erin O Jones, Paul J Mensink, William K Roche, Ciara Wögerbauer, Nicholas L Payne
{"title":"Movements, growth rates and strong sexual segregation in critically endangered tope sharks Galeorhinus galeus in the Northeast Atlantic.","authors":"Luke W J Cameron, Erin O Jones, Paul J Mensink, William K Roche, Ciara Wögerbauer, Nicholas L Payne","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The tope (Galeorhinus galeus, Linnaeus, 1758) is a critically endangered shark, which, like numerous elasmobranchs, faces severe global decline. There are, however, substantial disparities between this species' global conservation status and those of some local populations, with the Northeast Atlantic representing a relative stronghold for this species. However, several areas of uncertainty, particularly regarding individual movement patterns, currently hamper region-specific conservation efforts. Therefore, utilising capture-mark-recapture tagging data, collected predominantly by recreational anglers in Ireland - but with recaptures throughout the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean - we investigated regional population structure, spatial segregation and individual movement patterns, and estimated sex-specific individual growth rates. This revealed a marked pattern of sexual segregation, with females residing further south than males overall, and with an Irish-specific trend towards male-dominated catches in Atlantic regions versus more even sex ratios in the Irish and Celtic Seas. Recapture timings and locations suggest that female movements are more strongly driven by seasonal water temperatures changes, being broadly in line with the north-south migratory paradigm. Spatiotemporal overlap of mature individuals suggests that the North Channel, Irish Sea and northern Celtic Sea may constitute a key mating area. Female sharks may utilise southerly regions during gestation, with the presence of young-of-the-year indicating that the Irish Sea and neighbouring regions subsequently act as parturition/nursery areas. Our results demonstrate the value of such long-term programmes, in this case facilitated by citizen science, in identifying broad-scale movement patterns in wide-ranging species and specific regions of interest for further study and/or implementation of targeted conservation measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144078403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sofía Ortega-García, Arturo Tripp-Valdez, Chugey Sepulveda, Scott Aalbers, Sergio A Briones-Hernández, Ulianov Jakes-Cota
{"title":"Trophic ecology of roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis) inferred from stomach content and stable isotope analyses in the southern part of Baja California peninsula.","authors":"Sofía Ortega-García, Arturo Tripp-Valdez, Chugey Sepulveda, Scott Aalbers, Sergio A Briones-Hernández, Ulianov Jakes-Cota","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis) is a highly prized organism in the sport fleet for its fight to catch and the showiness of its dorsal fin. However, despite its popularity, studies on its basic biology are limited. This study aims to understand the feeding behaviours of the roosterfish by analysing the stomach content (SCA) and performing bulk stable isotope analysis (BSIA). The study also seeks to identify ontogenetic changes in its feeding habits and habitat preferences. To achieve this, 505 stomachs and 165 muscle samples were analysed in three locations in Baja California Sur (Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Puerto San Carlos) between 2010 and 2017. The SCA determined that the diet consisted mainly of fish from the families Carangidae, Engraulidae and Clupeidae, which together constituted almost 50% of the total diet. Statistical differences in diet composition were found by size class but not by sex or the interaction between these variables. Concerning BSIA, there were no significant differences between males and females; however, differences were observed in the 'undifferentiated sex' grouping, which was comprised largely small juvenile individuals. Concerning size, BSIA values were correlated with roosterfish fork length, so the observed differences for the 'undifferentiated sex' category were related to size variation rather than sexual maturity. The findings from this study suggest that roosterfish experience an ontogenetic increase in trophic position, relying less on sardine-like species as they grow. Furthermore, BSIA values could inform on relative residency of the roosterfish to the Baja California peninsula.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144078408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C Antonia Klöcker, Axel Schlindwein, Martin C Arostegui, Ingrid M Bruvold, Joel V Wernström, Montserrat Martin-Armas, David W Sims, Nicolas Straube, Andreas Altenburger, Claudia Junge
{"title":"Giants in the cold: Morphological evidence for vascular heat retention in the viscera but not the skeletal muscle of the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus).","authors":"C Antonia Klöcker, Axel Schlindwein, Martin C Arostegui, Ingrid M Bruvold, Joel V Wernström, Montserrat Martin-Armas, David W Sims, Nicolas Straube, Andreas Altenburger, Claudia Junge","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fewer than 50 of the over 30,000 extant species of fishes have developed anatomical specializations facilitating endothermy in specific body regions. The plankton-feeding basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), traditionally classified as an ectotherm, was recently shown to have regionally endothermic traits such as centralized red muscle (RM) along its body trunk and elevated (white) muscle temperatures. However, key anatomical features essential for classification as a regional endotherm, such as the presence of vascular rete mirabile, could not be confirmed in this cold-water giant. This study compared the morphology of heat-generating and heat-retaining tissues - associated with skeletal RM, the cranium and viscera - in the basking shark with those of a confirmed regional endotherm, the porbeagle (Lamna nasus), and a polar ectotherm, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus). Despite the presence of more medial RM in the basking shark's trunk, the absence of paired lateral vessels and a perfusing rete strongly suggests a lack of RM endothermy in this species. However, the presence of small arterial plexuses in the orbit, along with the discovery of visceral retia associated with the stomach, spleen and valvular intestine, in addition to distinct vascular arrangements in the liver and kidney, indicates potential for cranial and, particularly, visceral endothermy in C. maximus. These specializations, combined with reduced conductive heat loss from partial RM internalization and large body size, may enable C. maximus to maintain regionally elevated body temperatures, facilitating their active lifestyle also in cold-water environments. Enhanced sensory perception and digestive efficiency may aid prey acquisition and processing in the dimly lit meso- and bathypelagic zones, as well as high-latitude regions. Our findings provide initial insights into the thermal adaptations of these circum-globally distributed, highly migratory ram filter feeders. Further research is needed to better understand the eco-physiological implications of these adaptations, especially in the context of rapid ocean warming across their range, including Atlantification in the Arctic, and other anthropogenic pressures in the Anthropocene.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144013525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carolina Chong-Montenegro, Matthew T Craig, Gustavo A Castellanos-Galindo, Brad Erisman, Peter G Coulson, Uwe Krumme, Rodrigo Baos, Luis Zapata, Angel Vega, D Ross Robertson
{"title":"Age and growth of the Pacific goliath grouper (Epinephelus quinquefasciatus), the largest bony reef fish of the Tropical Eastern Pacific.","authors":"Carolina Chong-Montenegro, Matthew T Craig, Gustavo A Castellanos-Galindo, Brad Erisman, Peter G Coulson, Uwe Krumme, Rodrigo Baos, Luis Zapata, Angel Vega, D Ross Robertson","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We examined the age and growth of the Pacific goliath grouper (Epinephelus quinquefasciatus) from 210 samples collected from the main fish markets in Panama and Colombia. Ages from otoliths ranged from young-of-the-year to 13 years, predominantly between 1 and 4 years. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L∞ = 207 cm, k = 0.13 year<sup>-1</sup> and t<sub>0</sub> = -1.87 years. Instantaneous mortality rates (Z) were estimated at 36% in Colombia (ages 2-11) and 26% in Panama (ages 2-13).</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144012234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yi Wang, Changyuan Wang, Tingqian Guo, Chang Li, Kai Zhang, Xubo Wang, Shanliang Xu, Danli Wang, Chunyang Guo
{"title":"Hormonal regulation and expression dynamics of Bmp4 in the reproductive cycle of Pampus argenteus.","authors":"Yi Wang, Changyuan Wang, Tingqian Guo, Chang Li, Kai Zhang, Xubo Wang, Shanliang Xu, Danli Wang, Chunyang Guo","doi":"10.1111/jfb.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a member of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family, Bmp4 plays a crucial role in bone formation, early developmental stage and the regulation of gonadal development. This study aims to investigate the expression patterns and potential functions of the Bmp4 in Pampus argenteus during its reproductive cycle. A systematic evolutionary analysis of the Bmp4 was performed, and its expression was quantified and localized using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, the effects of various hormones on hormone-related genes were analysed in vitro using cultured testes, ovaries and oocytes. The results revealed that Bmp4 is evolutionarily conserved and broadly expressed across tissues. Notably, its expression significantly increased at 4 and 13 days post-hatching (dph), with no significant differences observed at other developmental stages. Western blotting identified a specific Bmp4 target band in Stage III ovaries, and immunohistochemistry localized Bmp4 expression in oogonia, oocytes and spermatogonia. In vitro hormonal treatments demonstrated that oestradiol (E2) significantly upregulated bmp4 expression in both testes and ovaries, with expression levels being notably higher in ovaries. In immature vitellogenic oocytes cultured in vitro, sex hormone treatments did not significantly affect the expression of bmp4, lhr, fshr and lhβ. However, under LH + hCG treatment (50 ng/mL and 5 IU/mL), the expression of fshβ was upregulated. In summary, our findings reveal that Bmp4 serves as a pivotal factor in the early development of the gonads and germ cells in P. argenteus. The expression of Bmp4 within the ovary is likely regulated by E2. During the early-stage development of the ovary, E2 and Bmp4 may jointly promote the early-stage development and differentiation of germ cells. This study offers a valuable theoretical foundation for addressing challenges in the breeding process.</p>","PeriodicalId":15794,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143969063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}