ArticlePDF Available

Fish biology and biotechnology is the source for sustainable aquaculture

  • February 2015
  • Science China. Life sciences 58(2):121-3
DOI:10.1007/s11427-015-4812-9
Authors:
Jian-Fang Gui at Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology
Jian-Fang Gui
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology
Download full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation
Content uploaded by Jian-Fang Gui
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Jian-Fang Gui on Oct 02, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
SCIENCE CHINA
Life Sciences
© The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at link.springer.com life.scichina.com link.springer.com
email: jfgui@ihb.ac.cn
SPECIAL TOPIC: Fish biology and biotechnology February 2015 Vol.58 No.2: 121–123
• EDITORIAL • doi: 10.1007/s11427-015-4812-9
Fish biology and biotechnology is the source for
sustainable aquaculture
GUI Jian-Fang
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
Received December 9, 2014
Citation: Gui JF. Fish biology and biotechnology is the source for sustainable aquaculture. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58: 121–123,
doi: 10.1007/s11427-015-4812-9
The contribution of aquaculture to global food production
and security has been widely acknowledged since the start
of the 21st century [1–4]. Global aquaculture production has
increased continuously over the last five decades, and par-
ticularly in China, aquaculture has become the fastest
growing and most efficient agri-sector, with production ac-
counting for more than 70% of the world’s aquaculture
output [5,6]. José Graziano da Silva, director-general of the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
stated in The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
(2014), published by FAO, “Global fish production contin-
ues to outpace world population growth, and aquaculture
remains one of the fastest-growing food producing sectors.
If responsibly developed and practiced, aquaculture can
generate lasting benefits for global food security and eco-
nomic growth” [6]. The future of fish and aquaculture po-
tentials have been the subject of extensive discussion [1–4].
Reviewing the process over the past 50 years, the rapid
growth in aquaculture is clearly a result of developments in
fish biology and biotechnology. As a multidisciplinary sub-
ject for studying the roles and mechanisms of fish phylo-
genesis, development, growth, reproduction and behavior,
and thereby exploiting the biotechnology applicable to ge-
netic breeding and disease prevention, fish biology and bio-
technology has provided the innovation and technology for
rapid development of the aquaculture industry. For example,
the breakthrough in artificial propagation techniques for the
“four important domestic fish”—silver, bighead, grass and
black carp—in the early 1960s [7] established the scientific
and technological basis for fry and fingerling production of
other fish and aquatic species. Since the 1980s, biotechno-
logical innovations and developments have provided sus-
tained motivation for the establishment of genetic breeding,
disease control and aquaculture seed programs [8]. Many
novel aquatic varieties that have played a major role in aq-
uaculture are the results of comprehensive and systematic
studies on the biological characteristics of these species. For
instance, most farmed varieties of the common and gibel
carp were selected and developed on the basis of a thorough
understanding of their genetic background [9,10].
Over the last 20 years, significant progress has been
made in fish biology and biotechnology, especially in the
field of fish genetic breeding. To introduce these advances,
the editorial committee has invited several scientists from
the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, the College of Fisheries of Huazhong Agricultural
University, Heilongjiang Fishery Institute of the Chinese
Academy of Fishery Sciences, and the College of Life Sci-
ences of Hunan Normal University to jointly contribute
seven review articles to highlight a number of hot topics in
this field.
Mei Jie and Gui Jian-Fang [11] provide a commentary
review on the genetic basis and biotechnological manipula-
tion of sexual dimorphism and sex determination in fish.
They summarize recent breakthroughs and advances in this
122 Gui JF Sci China Life Sci February (2015) Vol.58 No.2
field, including several successful cases of biotechnological
manipulation for sex control breeding, and consider some
promising prospects for future research.
Yin Zhan and his colleagues [12] collate recent work on
the somatotropic endocrine axis of fish, and review some
recent advances in the endocrine regulation of pituitary
growth hormone (GH) and extrapituitary aspects of the
GH/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system.
Xiao WuHan [13] summarizes novel progress in research
of the hypoxia signaling pathway and its regulation, as well
as the mechanism of hypoxia adaptation in fish.
Based on their research experience of more than 20 years,
Zhang QiYa and Gui Jian-Fang [14] review and compare
the genomic data of diverse aquatic viruses, such as irido-,
herpes-, reo- and rhabdoviruses, and outline some major
advances on virus–host interactions in the infected aquacul-
ture species.
Sun YongHua and Zhu ZuoYan, as well as their col-
leagues [15], review the history of fish-breeding methods
based on classical genome manipulation, including poly-
ploidy breeding and nuclear transfer, and emphasize the
development and application of fish directional breeding
based on transgenic technology and recently developed ge-
nome editing technologies.
Tong JinGou and Sun XiaoWen [16] concisely summa-
rize current genetic and genomic analyses for economically
important traits, and discuss future directions and prospects
of genomics and next-generation sequencing technology for
fish molecular breeding.
Liu ShaoJun and Liu Yun and their colleagues [17] ap-
praise the biological foundations and applications of selec-
tive breeding technologies, including traditional selective,
molecular marker-assisted, genome-wide selective and sex
control breeding, and review and discuss the research status
of and known problems in fish genetic breeding.
Finally, I would like to cordially thank all the authors for
contributing review articles on this topic, and wish that the
advances in fish biology and biotechnology will become an
inexhaustible source for the development of sustainable
aquaculture and fisheries.
1 Naylor RL, Goldburg RJ, Primavera JH, Kautsky N, Beveridge MC,
Clay J, Folke C, Lubchenco J, Mooney H, Troell M. Effect of aqua-
culture on world fish supplies. Nature, 2000, 405: 1017–1024
2 Pauly D, Christensen V, Guénette S, Pitcher TJ, Sumaila UR, Walters
CJ, Watson R, Zeller D. Towards sustainability in world fisheries.
Nature, 2002, 418: 689–695
3 James HT, Geoff LA. Fishes as food: aquaculture’s contribution.
EMBO Rep, 2001, 21: 958–963
4 Worm B, Branch TA. The future of fish. Trends Ecol Evol, 2012, 27:
594–599
5 Gui JF, Zhu ZY. Molecular basis and genetic improvement of eco-
nomically important traits in aquaculture animals. Chin Sci Bull,
2012, 57: 1751–1760
6 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The State
of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014. Rome, 2014
7 Wu HW, Zhong L. Progress and achievement on artificial prolifera-
tion of grass carp, black carp, silver carp and big head carp in China.
Chin Sci Bull, 1964, 9: 900–907
8 Wu CJ, Gui JF. Fish Genetics and Breeding Engineering (in Chinese).
Shanghai: Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 1999
9 Gui JF, Zhou L. Genetic basis and breeding application of clonal di-
versity and dual reproduction modes in polyploid Carassius auratus
gibelio. Sci China Life Sci, 2010, 53: 409–415
10 Liu SJ. Distant hybridization leads to different ploidy fishes. Sci
China Life Sci, 2010, 53: 416–425
11 Mei J, Gui JF. Genetic basis and biotechnological manipulation of
sexual dimorphism and sex determination in fish. Sci China Life Sci,
2015, 58: 124–136
12 Dai XY, Zhang W, Zhuo ZJ, He JY, Yin Z. Neuroendocrine regula-
tion of somatic growth in fishes. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58:
137–147
13 Xiao WH. The hypoxia signaling pathway and hypoxic adaptation in
fishes. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58: 148–155
14 Zhang QY, Gui JF. Virus genomes and virus-host interactions in aq-
uaculture animals. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58: 156–169
15 Ye D, Zhu ZY, Sun YH. Fish genome manipulation and directional
breeding. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58: 170–177
16 Tong JG, Sun XW. Genetic and genomic analyses for economically
important traits and their applications in molecular breeding of cul-
tured fish. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58: 178–186
17 Xu K, Duan W, Xiao J, Tao M, Zhang C, Liu Y, Liu SJ. Develop-
ment and application of biological technologies in fish genetic
breeding. Sci China Life Sci, 2015, 58: 187–201
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
Gui JF Sci China Life Sci February (2015) Vol.58 No.2 123
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Gui Jian-Fang is a professor at the Institute of Hydrobiology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Insti-
tute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and completed
a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California,
San Diego, USA. He is a former director of the Institute of Hydrobi-
ology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1999–2007) and a former di-
rector of the State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Bio-
technology (2001–2011). Dr. Gui is currently vice president of the
China Zoological Society, vice president of the Chinese Society for
Oceanology and Limnology, and president of the Chinese Ichthyo-
logical Society. He serves as chief editor of Acta Hydrobiologica
Sinica and an editorial board member of several journals, including
Gene, Science China Life Sciences and Chinese Science Bulletin. He is vice chairman of the National Certification Committee
for Aquatic Varieties. His research has focused on fish biology and biotechnology with particular emphasis on fish genetic
breeding. Dr. Gui has published more than 350 peer-reviewed research papers, including more than 190 SCI-indexed papers.
He has won numerous awards and honors including the second award of National Natural Sciences in China (2011), China
Youth Science and Technology Award (1988), the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (1994),
the First Young Scientist Award of Chinese Academy of Sciences (1995), the Distinguished Young Scholar Award of
Qiu-Shi Science and Technology Foundation (1996), the National Labor Day Working Medal (2009), and the Distinguished
Scientist with Outstanding Contribution for “11th Five-year” National Science and Technology Programs (2011). He was
elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2013.
... During the past 100 years, interest in species diversity has led many biologists to conduct taxonomic, systematic, and biogeographic studies (Chen, 1998;Nelson et al., 2016;Reis et al., 2016;Zhang and Zhao, 2016). Since entering the 21st century, fish biology has undergone important changes and transitions from traditional observation and exploitation to comprehensive theory innovation and core biotechnology creation along with rapid advances in modern science and technology (Gui and Zhu, 2012;Gui, 2015aGui, ,2015bGui et al., 2018a,b). Especially in the past 10 years, modern genetics, particularly genomics, has been widely applied to fish biology studies on genetic innovations, evolutionary processes, and physiological mechanisms of some important fish lineages. ...
... Application of fish biology and biotechnologies are believed to be the source for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture (Gui, 2015a). Moreover, theoretical and technological innovations have begun to display their potential advantages in the genetic improvement of farmed fishes Jin et al., 2021;Stokstad, 2020;. ...
Rethinking fish biology and biotechnologies in the challenge era for burgeoning genome resources and strengthening food security
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2021
Fish biology has been developed for more than 100 years, but some important breakthroughs have been made in the last decade. Early studies commonly concentrated on morphology, phylogenetics, development, growth, reproduction manipulation, and disease control. Recent studies have mostly focused on genetics, molecular biology, genomics, and genome biotechnologies, which have provided a solid foundation for enhancing aquaculture to ensure food security and improving aquatic environments to sustain ecosystem health. Here, we review research advances in five major areas: (1) biological innovations and genomic evolution of four significant fish lineages including non-teleost ray-finned fishes, northern hemisphere sticklebacks, East African cichlid fishes, and East Asian cyprinid fishes; (2) evolutionary fates and consequences of natural polyploid fishes; (3) biological consequences of fish domestication and selection; (4) development and innovation of fish breeding biotechnologies; and (5) applicable approaches and potential of fish genetic breeding biotechnologies. Moreover, five precision breeding biotechniques are examined and discussed in detail including gene editing for the introgression or removal of beneficial or detrimental alleles, use of sex-specific markers for the production of mono-sex populations, controllable primordial germ cell on-off strategy for producing sterile offspring, surrogate broodstock-based strategies to accelerate breeding, and genome incorporation and sexual reproduction regain-based approach to create synthetic polyploids. Based on these scientific and technological advances, we propose a blueprint for genetic improvement and new breed creation for aquaculture species and analyze the potential of these new breeding strategies for improving aquaculture seed industry and strengthening food security.
View
... El rápido crecimiento de la acuicultura es el resultado de avances en la biología y la biotecnología de los peces con un enfoque multidisciplinar para el estudio de los roles y los mecanismos de filogenéticos, desarrollo, crecimiento, reproducción y comportamiento de los peces y, por lo tanto, la explotación biotecnológica aplicable al cultivo, cría selectiva aplicada y la prevención de enfermedades (Gui, 2015). ...
EFECTO DE LA PROPORCIÓN SEXUAL EN LA REPRODUCCIÓN, FECUNDIDAD Y FERTILIDAD DEL ACOCIL (Cambarellus Montezumae, Saussure 1857) EN SISTEMAS DE RECIRCULACIÓN ACUÍCOLA
Thesis
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
The importance of developing biotechnology for the cultivation of native species in aquaculture in Mexico is exposed with special emphasis on the species Cambarellus Montezumae (acocil), one of the most important native species in the central region of the country. Showing the importance of research on the reproductive parameters of the species to achieve its cultivation. Thus, an experiment was designed and carried out in a recirculating aquaculture system to evaluate the effect of sex ratio on reproductive performance through its impact on reproduction, fecundity, and fertility. The results indicate that in the evaluated sex ratios, there is the same male capacity to fertilize the available females (reproduction). While the quality of the egg and litter (fertility) are not affected by the effect of the sexual ratio used in reproduction.
View
... Administration of exogenous E2 can reverse genetic males to phenotypic females in teleosts, such as silver perch (Sulaeman and Fotedar, 2017), fat snook (de Carvalho et al., 2014) and Atlantic halibut (Hendry et al., 2003), if the treatment is applied before or during the sensitive period of sex differentiation (Piferrer, 2001). Detailed histological observations of the timing and events of the gonad morphogenesis process can provide guidelines for determining the hormone-sensitive period to control sex and optimize culture (Gui, 2015;Mei and Gui, 2015). However, the hormone-sensitive period varies among vertebrate species, such as Ussuri catfish (Tachysurus ussuriensis) (Pan et al., 2017), chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) (Kobayashi et al., 2011), cultured turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) (Zhao et al., 2017), and Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) (Viñas et al., 2013). ...
Oestradiol upregulates the expression of Cyp19a1a and the feminization ratio in Schizothorax prenanti
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2022
s Sex plasticity is easily influenced by external conditions in teleosts. In the present study, the morphogenesis of gonad development was described, and the sex ratio and gonadal development were also analysed after induction by exogenous E2. The primordial gonad was first visible at 9 dph, and PGCs entered mitosis at 90 dph. The time of transition from single oogonia to clusters of oogonia was from 95 dph until 126 dph, and the formation of chromatin nucleolar oocytes appeared at 212 dph. Compared with the ovary, the putative testis had fewer germ cells and a smaller gonad, which started to differentiate at 186 dph and formed spermatocytes at 237 dph. Exogenous E2 treatment promoted the expression of Cyp19a1a in differentiating gonads, and the female rate of all E2-treated groups was significantly higher than control groups (P < 0.05). Taken together, these results will aid in the further analysis of mechanisms underlying sex differentiation in S. prenanti.
View
... Somatic growth has been the focus of numerous studies, as it is an important trait in the breeding of cultured animals (Gui and Zhu, 2012;Gui, 2015). Complex factors affecting body growth include endo-, para-, and autocrine regulatory mechanisms (Dai et al., 2015b). ...
Heterozygous depletion of pik3r1 improves growth and feed conversion efficiency in Gibel carp (Carassius gibelio)
Article
  • Jul 2021
  • AQUACULTURE
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling plays an indispensable role in vertebrate metabolism and energy homeostasis. Heterozygous disruption of P85α, a PI3K subunit encoded by the pik3r1 gene, is known to improve insulin sensitivity in mammals. However, there is no direct evidence on the effects of altered expression of pik3r1 on metabolism and somatic growth in teleosts. In this study, the effects of heterozygous disruption of pik3r1 on metabolism and somatic growth in Gibel carp were investigated. Enhancement of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was achieved by inducing haploinsufficiency of P85α in heterozygous pik3r1-deficient Gibel carp. Unlike in mammalian models, there was no significant changes in the plasma glucose levels and hepatic glucose uptake. However, significant reduction in the levels of plasma triglycerides (TG), hepatic TG, amino acids, and lactate was observed. Furthermore, the haploinsufficiency of P85α significantly improved somatic growth, lipid utilization, and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) in the mutant Gibel carp. Taken together, our results demonstrate that enhancement of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway could effectively improve somatic growth and FCE in practical aquaculture. Therefore, genetic engineering for partial activation of the PI3K signaling pathway may be a potential breeding strategy for improvement of the traits of cultured fish in the future.
View
View
Molecular characterization, structural and expression analysis of twelve CXC chemokines and eight CXC chemokine receptors in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Article
  • Feb 2023
The chemokine-receptor system plays important roles in the leukocyte trafficking, inflammation, immune cell differentiation, cancer and other biological processes. In the present study, the sequence features, structures and expression patterns of twelve CXC chemokine ligands (CXCL8a.1, CXCL8a.2, CXCL8b.1, CXCL8b.2, CXCL12a, CXCL12b, CXCL13.1, CXCL13.2, CXCL14, CXCL18a, CXCL18b and CXCL19) and eight CXC chemokine receptors (CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR3.1, CXCR3.2, CXCR3.3, CXCR4a, CXCR4b and CXCR5) of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were analyzed. All the CXCLs and CXCRs of largemouth bass shared high sequence identities with their teleost counterparts and possessed conserved motifs and structures of CXCLs and CXCRs family. Realtime qPCR revealed that these CXCLs and CXCRs were ubiquitously expressed in all examined tissues, with high expression levels in the immune-related tissues (spleen, head kidney, and gill). Following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) stimulations, most of these CXCLs and CXCRs were significantly up-regulated in spleen. In addition, the potential interacted molecules of these CXCLs and CXCRs were analyzed by protein-protein interaction network analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that in detail analyzes the CXCLs and CXCRs of largemouth bass. Our results provide valuable basis for study the function and mechanism of chemokine-receptor system in largemouth bass.
View
Promotion of genetic improvement to world aquaculture development
Article
  • Feb 2023
Along with the rapid and sustained increases of global aquaculture production, aquaculture has been rapidly replacing the capture fisheries in the last two decades, and already become a production activity with great potential to meet human demand for high-quality proteins. The rapid consumption growth of aquatic products in the world in recent decades shows the increasingly important role of aquatic products in the human food system. Genetic improvement has attracted much attention as a key part in the development of aquaculture. Up to now, selective breeding and cross-breeding are the main breeding methods, and economic traits such as growth rate and survival rate are the main target traits for improvement, which have played a fundamental, leading and strategic role in the development of the world aquaculture industry. Following the increasing demand for high-quality protein and the widespread popularization of the concept of the "Greater Food" approach, it is a general trend to make aquatic production into a more efficient food production system. Globally, however, the aquaculture seeds industry has some limitations, such as not many strains and species of genetic improvement, and improved traits lagging behind the needs of industrial development. It is necessary to improve technological, variety and mechanism innovation, to promote the development of high-quality aquaculture seed industry. Based on previous research results and various fishery statistics, this study summarizes the development of the global aquaculture industry, the genetic improvement of important aquaculture species, the application of breeding technology in aquaculture, the improvement of target traits, and the production data of six major species experiencing artificially genetic improvement to analyze the development status and existing problems, which could provide a reference for the study of the aquacultural seed industry as well as its high-quality development.
View
Host Hybridization Dominates over Cohabitation in Affecting Gut Microbiota of Intrageneric Hybrid Takifugu Pufferfish
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2023
Microbial symbionts are of great importance for macroscopic life, including fish, and both collectively comprise an integrated biological entity known as the holobiont. Yet little is known as to how the normal balance within the fish holobiont is maintained and how it responds to biotic and/or abiotic influences. Here, through amplicon profiling, the genealogical relationship between artificial F1 hybrid pufferfish with growth heterosis, produced from crossing female Takifugu obscurus with male Takifugu rubripes and its maternal halfsibling purebred, was well recapitulated by their gut microbial community similarities, indicating an evident parallelism between host phylogeny (hybridity) and microbiota relationships therein. Interestingly, modest yet significant fish growth promotion and gut microbiota alteration mediated by hybrid-purebred cohabitation were observed, in comparison with their respective monoculture cohorts that share common genetic makeups, implying a certain degree of environmental influences. Moreover, the underlying assemblage patterns of gut microbial communities were found associated with a trade-off between variable selection and dispersal limitation, which are plausibly driven by the augmented social interactions between hybrid and purebred cohabitants differing in behaviors. Results from this study not only can enrich, from a microbial perspective , the sophisticated understanding of complex and dynamic assemblage of the fish holobiont, but will also provide deeper insights into the ecophysiological factors imposed on the diversity-function relationships thereof. Our findings emphasize the intimate associations of gut microbiota in host genetics-environmental interactions and would have deeper practical implications for microbial contributions to optimize performance prediction and to improve the production of farmed fishes.
View
Induction of high triploid rate blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) by hydrostatic pressure and analysis of gonadal sterility mechanism
Article
  • Oct 2022
  • AQUACULTURE
At present, only cold shock method was used to induce the triploid of M. amblycephala, and because the triploid rate is not high enough, the triploid fish has not been applied in aquaculture on a large scale. This study aimed to obtain the best induction conditions of triploid by hydrostatic pressure, reveal the reproductive characteristics and mechanism of gonadal sterility of triploid M. amblycephala, provide an insights into the meiotic patterns of triploid fish. We successfully induced triploid in M. amblycephala using the hydrostatic pressure method. The highest triploid rate reached 85.92% at 55 MPa for 3 min after 3 min of fertilization. The relative DNA content of the triploid fish was 1.5 times of that of the diploid fish, and their chromosome karyotype was 3n = 72 = 27 m + 39sm + 6st. Both female and male triploids had dysplastic gonads, the testis of triploid males was able to produce 1.5n sperm without fertility because all the hybrid embryos of 2n♀ × 3n♂ died; however, the ovaries of triploid females belonged to complete sterility. The verification of gene expression patterns and interaction suggested that the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis process was disturbed and unsynapsed chromosome (UC) axis was blocked may jointly caused the complete sterility without egg production of female triploids. However, triploid males belonged to uncompletely sterility, which can produce a small number of sperm and complete fertilization, but the offspring cannot survive, may caused by the not completely blocked UC axis with low expression of hormad1 and iho1.
View
De novo RNA sequencing for identification of growth-related genes in Silurus lanzhouensis muscle tissues
Article
  • Aug 2022
To obtain transcriptomic insights into the growth regulation traits of Silurus lanzhouensis, this study employed de novo RNA sequencing to analyze the muscle transcriptome of the three heaviest (SLA) and three lightest (SLB) individuals from the same S. lanzhouensis family. Notably, the body weight, total length, and head length of the two groups were found to be significantly different (unpaired t test, P < 0.05). A total of 163,949 transcripts and 89,579 genes were identified, of which 843 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two groups (366 up-regulated and 477 down-regulated in the SLA group). The results were further validated via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction of 16 selected DEGs and were deemed highly reliable. The differences in growth rates between the two groups were attributed to the DEGs associated with carbohydrate metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and cardiac muscle contraction. Hex-t2, Fbp2, and Pepck were the most promising candidate genes to explain the differences in growth rate between SLA and SLB. These results provide valuable insights into fish growth traits and may aid in the identification of biomarkers for the establishment of selection models for S. lanzhouensis and other cultured fish species.
View
View
Neuroendocrine regulation of somatic growth in fishes
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2015
Growth is a polygenic trait that is under the influence of multiple physiological pathways regulating energy metabolism and muscle growth. Among the possible growth-regulating pathways in vertebrates, components of the somatotropic axis are thought to have the greatest influence. There is growing body of literature focusing on the somatotropic axis and its role regulating growth in fish. This includes research into growth hormone, upstream hypothalamic hormones, insulin-like growth factors, and downstream signaling molecules. Many of these signals have both somatic effects stimulating the growth of tissues and metabolic effects that play a role in nutrient metabolism. Signals of other endocrine axes exhibit profound effects on the function of the somatotropic axis in vivo. In this review we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the teleost fish endocrine somatotropic axis, including emerging research using genetic modified models. These studies have revealed new aspects and challenges associated with regulation of the important steps of somatic growth.
View
Fish genome manipulation and directional breeding
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
Aquaculture is one of the fastest developing agricultural industries worldwide. One of the most important factors for sustainable aquaculture is the development of high performing culture strains. Genome manipulation offers a powerful method to achieve rapid and directional breeding in fish. We review the history of fish breeding methods based on classical genome manipulation, including polyploidy breeding and nuclear transfer. Then, we discuss the advances and applications of fish directional breeding based on transgenic technology and recently developed genome editing technologies. These methods offer increased efficiency, precision and predictability in genetic improvement over traditional methods.
View
Genetic and genomic analyses for economically important traits and their applications in molecular breeding of cultured fish
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
The traits of cultured fish must continually be genetically improved to supply high-quality animal protein for human consumption. Economically important fish traits are controlled by multiple gene quantitative trait loci (QTL), most of which have minor effects, but a few genes may have major effects useful for molecular breeding. In this review, we chose relevant studies on some of the most intensively cultured fish and concisely summarize progress on identifying and verifying QTLs for such traits as growth, disease and stress resistance and sex in recent decades. The potential applications of these major-effect genes and their associated markers in marker-assisted selection and molecular breeding, as well as future research directions are also discussed. These genetic and genomic analyses will be valuable for elucidating the mechanisms modulating economically important traits and to establish more effective molecular breeding techniques in fish.
View
The hypoxia signaling pathway and hypoxic adaptation in fishes
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
The hypoxia signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved cellular signaling pathway present in animals ranging from Caenorhabditis elegans to mammals. The pathway is crucial for oxygen homeostasis maintenance. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) are master regulators in the hypoxia signaling pathway. Oxygen concentrations vary a lot in the aquatic environment. To deal with this, fishes have adapted and developed varying strategies for living in hypoxic conditions. Investigations into the strategies and mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation in fishes will allow us to understand fish speciation and breed hypoxia-tolerant fish species/strains. This review summarizes the process of the hypoxia signaling pathway and its regulation, as well as the mechanism of hypoxia adaptation in fishes.
View
Development and application of biological technologies in fish genetic breeding
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
Fish genetic breeding is a process that remolds heritable traits to obtain neotype and improved varieties. For the purpose of genetic improvement, researchers can select for desirable genetic traits, integrate a suite of traits from different donors, or alter the innate genetic traits of a species. These improved varieties have, in many cases, facilitated the development of the aquaculture industry by lowering costs and increasing both quality and yield. In this review, we present the pertinent literatures and summarize the biological bases and application of selection breeding technologies (containing traditional selective breeding, molecular marker-assisted breeding, genome-wide selective breeding and breeding by controlling single-sex groups), integration breeding technologies (containing cross breeding, nuclear transplantation, germline stem cells and germ cells transplantation, artificial gynogenesis, artificial androgenesis and polyploid breeding) and modification breeding technologies (represented by transgenic breeding) in fish genetic breeding. Additionally, we discuss the progress our laboratory has made in the field of chromosomal ploidy breeding of fish, including distant hybridization, gynogenesis, and androgenesis. Finally, we systematically summarize the research status and known problems associated with each technology.
View
Virus genomes and virus-host interactions in aquaculture animals
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
Over the last 30 years, aquaculture has become the fastest growing form of agriculture production in the world, but its development has been hampered by a diverse range of pathogenic viruses. During the last decade, a large number of viruses from aquatic animals have been identified, and more than 100 viral genomes have been sequenced and genetically characterized. These advances are leading to better understanding about antiviral mechanisms and the types of interaction occurring between aquatic viruses and their hosts. Here, based on our research experience of more than 20 years, we review the wealth of genetic and genomic information from studies on a diverse range of aquatic viruses, including iridoviruses, herpesviruses, reoviruses, and rhabdoviruses, and outline some major advances in our understanding of virus-host interactions in animals used in aquaculture.
View
Genetic basis and biotechnological manipulation of sexual dimorphism and sex determination in fish
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
Aquaculture has made an enormous contribution to the world food production, especially to the sustainable supply of animal proteins. The utility of diverse reproduction strategies in fish, such as the exploiting use of unisexual gynogenesis, has created a typical case of fish genetic breeding. A number of fish species show substantial sexual dimorphism that is closely linked to multiple economic traits including growth rate and body size, and the efficient development of sex-linked genetic markers and sex control biotechnologies has provided significant approaches to increase the production and value for commercial purposes. Along with the rapid development of genomics and molecular genetic techniques, the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism has been gradually deciphered, and great progress has been made in the mechanisms of fish sex determination and identification of sex-determining genes. This review summarizes the progress to provide some directive and objective thinking for further research in this field.
View
Molecular basis and genetic improvement of economically important traits in aquaculture animals
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2012
Aquaculture has been believed to be a major Chinese contribution to the world. In recent 20 years, genome and other genetic technologies have promoted significant advances in basic studies on molecular basis and genetic improvement of aquaculture animals, and complete genomes of some main aquaculture animals have been sequenced or announced to be sequenced since the beginning of this century. Here, we review some significant breakthrough progress of aquaculture genetic improvement technologies including genome technologies, somatic cell nuclear transfer and stem cell technologies, outline the molecular basis of several economically important traits including reproduction, sex, growth, disease resistance, cold tolerance and hypoxia tolerance, and present a series of candidate trait-related genes. Finally, some application cases of genetic improvement are introduced in aquaculture animals, especially in China, and several development trends are highlighted in the near future.
View
Effect of Aquaculture on World Fish Supplies
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2000
Global production of farmed fish and shellfish has more than doubled in the past 15 years. Many people believe that such growth relieves pressure on ocean fisheries, but the opposite is true for some types of aquaculture. Farming carnivorous species requires large inputs of wild fish for feed. Some aquaculture systems also reduce wild fish supplies through habitat modification, wild seedstock collection and other ecological impacts. On balance, global aquaculture production still adds to world fish supplies; however, if the growing aquaculture industry is to sustain its contribution to world fish supplies, it must reduce wild fish inputs in feed and adopt more ecologically sound management practices.
View