Zhizhong Xiao

Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Beijing Shi, China

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Publications (8)14.18 Total impact

  • Article: Pepsinogen A and C genes in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus): Characterization and expression in early development.
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    ABSTRACT: We characterized the expression patterns of pepsinogen A (tPGA) and pepsinogen C (tPGC) in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). Quantitative expression analysis showed that tPGC was preferentially expressed in early developmental stages, and that the tPGA mRNA expression level was higher in adult fish. Full-length cDNA constructs of tPGA and tPGC were 1307 bp (from which 377 amino acids were deduced); and 1430 bp (from which 385 amino acids were deduced), respectively. The deduced proteins of tPGA and tPGC possessed signal peptides of 17 amino acids and 20 amino acids respectively. The initial transcripts of tPGA and tPGC were detected at 22 days post hatching (dph), well after the formation of gastric glands (16 dph). This suggested that the morphologic development of gastric glands was not synchronous with their functional development. In addition, tPGA and tPGC mRNAs were also expressed in muscle and ovary at much lower levels than in stomach and esophagus. The distribution of tPGA and tPGC in the turbot was investigated using in-situ hybridization, and tPGA and tPGC were first detected in the esophagus and cardiac region of the stomach, and then throughout the stomach.
    Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part B, Biochemistry & molecular biology 03/2013; · 1.61 Impact Factor
  • Article: Germ line specific expression of a vasa homologue gene in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus): Evidence for vasa localization at cleavage furrows in euteleostei.
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    ABSTRACT: Specification of primordial germ cells during early embryogenesis is a critical biological issue in reproduction and development. Yet, little is known in marine economic fish species. Vasa, a component of germ plasm, is the most-documented germ cell marker in teleosts. We isolated a full-length vasa cDNA (Smvas) from turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), a marine Euteleostei species, and investigated its expression patterns by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization during embryogenesis and gametogenesis to identify the germ cell lineage in this species. The deduced amino acid sequence of the isolated cDNA shared typical characteristics of Vasa protein and high identity to Vasa homologues in medaka (76.9%) and zebrafish (68.5%). The Smvas transcripts were exclusively detected in germ cells of testis and ovary, and exhibited an interesting dynamic localization pattern during oogenesis. The distribution pattern of Smvas during embyogenesis in this Euteleostei closely resembled the pattern observed in zebrafish (belonging to Osteriophysans) rather than medaka (belonging to Euteleostei). Thus, it is concluded that Smvas isolated in this study is a germ cell specific molecular marker in turbot. Furthermore, we hypothesize that Euteleostei could localize vasa mRNA by a special mode. The results not only facilitate the germ cell manipulation of the turbot, but also improve our understanding of germline development and evolution of vasa localization in teleost. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
    Molecular Reproduction and Development 11/2012; · 2.53 Impact Factor
  • Article: Ontogeny of the digestive tract and enzymes in rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck et Schlegel 1844) larvae.
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    ABSTRACT: Histological development of the digestive tract and specific activities of three digestive enzymes (trypsin, alkaline phosphatase, and pepsin) were studied in rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus from hatching to 50 days after hatching (DAH). At hatching, the digestive tract appeared as an undifferentiated straight tube and differentiated into the buccopharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and rectum at mouth opening by 3 DAH. The taste bud and mandibular teeth were present in the buccopharyx at 8 DAH. The goblet cells appeared in the esophagus at 8 DAH and in the buccopharyx at 9 DAH. The stomach anlage was formed at 2 DAH and developed into cardia, fundus, and pylorus at 14 DAH. The gastric glands were visible at 16 DAH, and the pepsin was firstly detected on 22 DAH. At 2 DAH, the intestinal valve appeared and divided the intestine into anterior intestine (AI) and posterior intestine (PI). The rectum was differentiated from the PI at 3 DAH. The supranuclear vacuoles were visible in the rectum by 6 DAH, and the lipid inclusions were present in the AI at 8 DAH. The alkaline phosphatase was detected at 1 DAH, and the increase in its activity indicated the maturation of the intestine after 40 DAH. The hepatocytes and pancreatic cells were differentiated from the blast cells at 2 DAH, and the acidophilic zymogen granules in the exocrine pancreas were observed simultaneously. The trypsin was detected by 1 DAH and increased to the maximum at 19 DAH, followed by a decrease as the stomach became functional.
    Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 05/2011; 38(2):297-308. · 1.53 Impact Factor
  • Article: Population genetic structure of the point-head flounder, Cleisthenes herzensteini, in the Northwestern Pacific.
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    ABSTRACT: Intraspecific phylogenies can provide useful insights into how populations have been shaped by historical and contemporary processes. To determine the population genetic structure and the demographic and colonization history of Cleisthenes herzensteini in the Northwestern Pacific, one hundred and twenty-one individuals were sampled from six localities along the coastal regions of Japan and the Yellow Sea of China. Mitochondrial DNA variation was analyzed using DNA sequence data from the 5' end of control region. High levels of haplotype diversity (>0.96) were found for all populations, indicating a high level of genetic diversity. No pattern of isolation by distance was detected among the population differentiation throughout the examined range. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) and the conventional population statistic Fst revealed no significant population genetic structure among populations. According to the exact test of differentiation among populations, the null hypothesis that C. herzensteini within the examined range constituted a non-differential mtDNA gene pool was accepted. The demographic history of C. herzensteini was examined using neutrality test and mismatch distribution analyses and results indicated Pleistocene population expansion (about 94-376 kya) in the species, which was consistent with the inference result of nested clade phylogeographical analysis (NCPA) showing contiguous range expansion for C. herzensteini. The lack of phylogeographical structure for the species may reflect a recent range expansion after the glacial maximum and insufficient time to attain migration-drift equilibrium.
    Genetica 02/2011; 139(2):187-98. · 2.15 Impact Factor
  • Article: Genetic characterization of asymmetric reciprocal hybridization between the flatfishes Paralichthys olivaceus and Paralichthys dentatus.
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    ABSTRACT: Interspecific reciprocal crosses between the two flatfishes Paralichthys olivaceus and P. dentatus yielded hybrids with different viabilities. Specifically, the hybrids of P. olivaceus female and P. dentatus male (HI) were found to be viable, while the reciprocal hybrids from P. dentatus female and P. olivaceus male (HII) were completely inviable. All the HII individuals showed morphological deformities and died before first feeding. The chromosome analysis showed that HI individuals had the same chromosome number as parents. However, two chromosomes were missing in HII offspring indicating that the latter were aneuploids. Genomic inheritance from the parents to F(1) progeny was also examined by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses, and the results showed differences between reciprocal hybrids. Almost all AFLP bands (97.71%) observed in parents were passed on to HI individuals. In contrast, only 86.64% of the AFLP bands from parents were scored in HII individuals. Frequency of lost parental bands was thus significantly higher in HII than that in HI and intraspecific crosses, which was probably associated with chromosomal elimination. In addition, higher segregation distortions were found in hybrids than in controls, although these differences were not significant. The present study indicates that chromosomal elimination and loss of AFLP loci occurred in inviable HII individuals, while such genomic changes were not found in viable HI individuals. Possible implications of such difference on genomic changes for asymmetric viability in reciprocal hybrids are discussed.
    Genetica 07/2009; 137(2):151-8. · 2.15 Impact Factor
  • Article: Cadmium toxicity to embryonic-larval development and survival in red sea bream Pagrus major.
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    ABSTRACT: At 18 degrees C and 33 psu, 24 and 48 h LC(50) values of cadmium (Cd) for red sea bream Pagrus major embryos were 9.8 and 6.6 mgl(-1), respectively, while 24, 48, 72, and 96 h LC(50) values for larvae were 18.9, 16.2, 8.0, and 5.6 mgl(-1), respectively, indicating that embryos were more sensitive to Cd toxicity than larvae. Cd concentrations at > or =0.8 mgl(-1) led to low hatchability (0-90% in > or =0.8 mgl(-1) solutions vs. 97-100% in lower ones), delay in time to hatch, high mortality (38-100% vs. 1-10%), morphological abnormality (42-100% vs. 1-10%), reduced length (3.55-3.60 vs. 3.71-3.72 mm) in the embryos and larvae. They were Cd concentration dependent and potential biological significant endpoints for assessing the risk of Cd to aquatic organisms. Heart beat and yolk absorption of the larvae were significantly inhibited at some high concentrations but they were not as sensitive as other endpoints to Cd exposure.
    Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 07/2009; 72(7):1966-74. · 2.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Toxic effects of zinc on the development, growth, and survival of red sea bream Pagrus major embryos and larvae.
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    ABSTRACT: This study investigated the zinc toxicity to red sea bream Pagrus major embryos and larvae at 18 +/- 1 degrees C (33 +/- 1 per thousand in salinity) under laboratory conditions. The acute toxicity tests indicated that zinc 48-h LC50 to embryos and 96-h LC50 to larvae were 4.3 (3.3-6.3; 95% confidence limits) and 10.1 (9.0-11.4) mg l(-1), respectively, suggesting that embryos were more sensitive than larvae to zinc exposure. The subchronic toxicity test, in which embryos and larvae were continuously exposed to 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mg Zn2+ l(-1) solutions for 10 days, demonstrated that waterborne zinc had distinctly toxic effects on the development, growth, and survival of red sea bream embryos and larvae. Zinc exposure at concentrations > or = 0.5 mg l(-1) would lead to a low hatching rate (19-78%, vs. 98% in controls), high mortality (29-91%, vs. 10% in controls), and morphological abnormality (12-77%, vs. 0.3% in controls) in embryos and larvae, while it caused delay in time-to-hatch in embryos at concentrations > or = 1.0 mg l(-1). These four biological parameters were zinc concentration dependent and could be effective bioindicators for evaluating the toxicity of zinc to the early life stage of this fish. Heartbeats of embryos (9-13 beats 10 s(-1)) were relatively low and were not significantly influenced by zinc concentration, although they rose remarkably with elevated zinc concentration in larvae at the end of the test, particularly when it was > or = 1.0 mg l(-1) (36-38, vs. 31 beats 10 s(-1) in controls). The total length (LT) of the larvae at the end of the test was reduced by 12.2% and 15.6% in the 1.0 and 2.0 mg l(-1) solutions but did not vary significantly in other solutions in comparison with the controls. Heartbeat and LT were less sensitive to zinc exposure and might not be good biological parameters for determining the toxicity of zinc to the early life stage of red sea bream.
    Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 06/2009; 58(1):140-50. · 1.93 Impact Factor
  • Article: Effects of photoperiod on growth, mortality and digestive enzymes in miiuy croaker larvae and juveniles
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    ABSTRACT: The growth, mortality and digestive enzymes (trypsin, amylase and lipase) in miiuy croaker Miichthys miiuy larvae and juveniles (253 dph) were investigated at four photoperiods: 24L:0D, 18L:6D, 12L:12D and 0L:24D. Larvae could not feed at 0L:24D and did not survive up to dph. In the 24L:0D, 18L:6D, 12L:12D groups, photoperiod had not significant effects on the growth of the miiuy croaker younger than dph. However, their total length and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly larger at 18L:6D and 24L:0D than 12L:12D after dph. Photoperiod also affected the mortality of the first feeding larvae ( dph), being apparently higher in 27%), but no significant differences in mortality were found among other photoperiods. High mortality of the miiuy croaker in 12L:12D, 18L:6D and 24 L:0D groups mainly occurred from 5 (2027%) to 16%) and tended to decrease gradually from dph onwards. Digestive enzymes activities in the miiuy croaker larvae and juveniles had a similar change trend with age at all photoperiods. They underwent drastic changes with age. The specific activity of lipase was significantly higher at 18L:6D and 24L:0D than 12L:12D, but there were no significant differences in specific activities of either trypsin or amylase among photoperiods. With regard to the total length, SGR, survival and digestive enzyme activities, our findings suggested that the optimal light regime for the culture of miiuy croaker during the early life stage was 18L:6D.
    Aquaculture. 281:70-76.