1
|
Bustos P, Schmitt P, Brown DI, Farlora R. Silencing of the Vasa gene by RNA Interference Affects Embryonic Development and Reproductive Output in the Sea Louse Caligus rogercresseyi. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 25:612-623. [PMID: 37526783 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-023-10232-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The sea louse Caligus rogercresseyi is a major ectoparasitic copepod that causes significant economic losses in the salmon farming industry. Despite recent advancements, the mechanisms underlying germline and embryo development in this species remain poorly understood. The Vasa gene encodes a highly conserved DEAD box helicase that is required for germ cell formation and function in many species. In this study, the Vasa gene was characterized in C. rogercresseyi, and its expression and function were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Cr-Vasa gene product formed clusters in clades with Vasa proteins from closely related species of crustaceans. Cr-Vasa gene expression patterns were assessed by qPCR, and the results showed a significantly higher relative expression level in adult females compared to copepodid, chalimus, and adult male stages. Tissue-specific localization of Cr-Vasa mRNA in C. rogercresseyi was determined using chromogenic in situ hybridization, and strong positive signal was observed in male testes, but also in the intestine and cuticle, while in females, it was observed in the ovaries, oocytes, cuticle, intestine, and egg strings. RNAi-mediated gene silencing of Cr-Vasa impacted embryonic development and reproductive output in adult female lice. Females from the dsVasa-treated group displayed unusual phenotypes, including shorter egg strings with numerous extra-embryonic inclusions, irregularly shaped abnormal embryos, and aborted egg strings. This study provides insights into the role of the Vasa gene in C. rogercresseyi embryonic development and reproductive output, which may have implications for the control of this parasitic copepod in the salmon farming industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Bustos
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Acuática y Genómica Reproductiva (LABYGER), Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, 2360102, Valparaíso, Chile
- Doctorado en Acuicultura, Programa Cooperativo Universidad de Chile, Universidad Católica del Norte, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paulina Schmitt
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Donald I Brown
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Rodolfo Farlora
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Acuática y Genómica Reproductiva (LABYGER), Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, 2360102, Valparaíso, Chile.
- Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Guragain P, Båtnes AS, Zobolas J, Olsen Y, Bones AM, Winge P. IIb-RAD-sequencing coupled with random forest classification indicates regional population structuring and sex-specific differentiation in salmon lice ( Lepeophtheirus salmonis). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8809. [PMID: 35414904 PMCID: PMC8986551 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The aquaculture industry has been dealing with salmon lice problems forming serious threats to salmonid farming. Several treatment approaches have been used to control the parasite. Treatment effectiveness must be optimized, and the systematic genetic differences between subpopulations must be studied to monitor louse species and enhance targeted control measures. We have used IIb-RAD sequencing in tandem with a random forest classification algorithm to detect the regional genetic structure of the Norwegian salmon lice and identify important markers for sex differentiation of this species. We identified 19,428 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 95 individuals of salmon lice. These SNPs, however, were not able to distinguish the differential structure of lice populations. Using the random forest algorithm, we selected 91 SNPs important for geographical classification and 14 SNPs important for sex classification. The geographically important SNP data substantially improved the genetic understanding of the population structure and classified regional demographic clusters along the Norwegian coast. We also uncovered SNP markers that could help determine the sex of the salmon louse. A large portion of the SNPs identified to be under directional selection was also ranked highly important by random forest. According to our findings, there is a regional population structure of salmon lice associated with the geographical location along the Norwegian coastline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prashanna Guragain
- Cell, Molecular Biology and Genomics GroupDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
- Taskforce Salmon LiceDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Anna Solvang Båtnes
- Taskforce Salmon LiceDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - John Zobolas
- Cell, Molecular Biology and Genomics GroupDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Yngvar Olsen
- Taskforce Salmon LiceDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Atle M. Bones
- Cell, Molecular Biology and Genomics GroupDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
- Taskforce Salmon LiceDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Per Winge
- Cell, Molecular Biology and Genomics GroupDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
- Taskforce Salmon LiceDepartment of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Borchel A, Komisarczuk AZ, Nilsen F. Sex differences in the early life stages of the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Copepoda: Caligidae). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266022. [PMID: 35358250 PMCID: PMC8970357 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmon lice are ectoparasites on salmonids and feed on blood, mucus, and skin from their hosts. This causes high annual costs for treatment and control for the aquaculture industry. Salmon lice have a life cycle consisting of eight life stages. Sex determination by eye is only possible from the sixth stage onwards. A molecular sex determination has not been carried out so far, even though few individual sex-linked SNPs have been reported. In the present study, we used known sex-specific SNPs as a basis to sequence the complete sex-specific gene variants and used the sequence information to develop a sex determination assay. This assay could be used to determine the developmental speed of the two sexes already in the earliest life stages. Additionally, we sampled salmon lice in the nauplius II stage, determined the sex of each individual, pooled their RNA according to their sex, and used RNA sequencing to search for differences in gene expression and further sex-specific SNPs. We succeeded in developing a sex-determination assay that works on DNA or RNA from even the earliest larval stages of the salmon louse after hatching. At these early developmental stages, male salmon lice develop slightly quicker than females. We detected several previously unknown, sex-specific SNPs in our RNA-data seq, but only very few genes showed a differential expression between the sexes. Potential connections between SNPs, gene expression, and development are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Borchel
- Department of Biological Sciences, SLRC—Sea Lice Research Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna Zofia Komisarczuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, SLRC—Sea Lice Research Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Frank Nilsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, SLRC—Sea Lice Research Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xu YXZ, Bassi G, Mishra S. Prohibitin: a prime candidate for a pleiotropic effector that mediates sex differences in obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysregulation. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:25. [PMID: 31118075 PMCID: PMC6530082 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0239-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipocytes and macrophages, the two major constituents of adipose tissue, exhibit sex differences and work in synergy in adipose tissue physiology and pathophysiology, including obesity-linked insulin resistance and metabolic dysregulation. Sex steroid hormones play a major role in sex differences in adipose tissue biology. However, our knowledge of the molecules that mediate these effects in adipose tissue remains limited. Consequently, it remains unclear whether these effector molecules in different adipose and immune cell types are distinct or if there are also pleiotropic effectors. Recently, a protein named prohibitin (PHB) with cell compartment- and tissue-specific functions has been found to play a role in sex differences in adipose and immune functions. Transgenic (Tg) mouse models overexpressing PHB (PHB-Tg) and a phospho-mutant PHB (mPHB-Tg) from the fatty acid binding protein-4 (Fabp-4) gene promoter display sex-neutral obesity; however, obesity-related insulin resistance and metabolic dysregulation are male-specific. Intriguingly, with aging, the male PHB-Tg mice developed hepatic steatosis and subsequently liver tumors whereas the male mPHB-Tg mice developed lymph node tumors and splenomegaly. Unlike the male transgenic mice, the female PHB-Tg and mPHB-Tg mice remain protected from obesity-related metabolic dysregulation and tumor development. In conclusion, the sex-dimorphic metabolic and immune phenotypes of PHB-Tg and mPHB-Tg mice have revealed PHB as a pleiotropic effector of sex differences in adipose and immune functions. In this mini-review, we will discuss the pleiotropic attributes of PHB and potential mechanisms that may have contributed to the sex-dimorphic metabolic phenotypes in PHB-Tg and mPHB-Tg mice, which warrant future research. We propose that PHB is a prime candidate for a pleiotropic mediator of sex differences in adipose and immune functions in both physiology and pathophysiology, including obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xin Zi Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm. 843 JBRC/715 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3P4, Canada
| | - Geetika Bassi
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm. 843 JBRC/715 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3P4, Canada
| | - Suresh Mishra
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm. 843 JBRC/715 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3P4, Canada. .,Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Farlora R, Valdebenito-Aguayo F, Valenzuela-Muñoz V, Gallardo-Escárate C. Hydrogen peroxide treatment modulates the transcription of sex-related genes in the sea lice Caligus rogercresseyi. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2018; 41:921-926. [PMID: 28984365 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R Farlora
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Acuática y Genómica Reproductiva/Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - F Valdebenito-Aguayo
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Aquatic Genomics, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Concepción, Chile
| | - V Valenzuela-Muñoz
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Aquatic Genomics, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Concepción, Chile
| | - C Gallardo-Escárate
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Aquatic Genomics, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Concepción, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
The Caligus rogercresseyi miRNome: Discovery and transcriptome profiling during the sea lice ontogeny. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aggene.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
7
|
Farlora R, Valenzuela-Muñoz V, Chávez-Mardones J, Gallardo-Escárate C. Aquaporin family genes exhibit developmentally-regulated and host-dependent transcription patterns in the sea louse Caligus rogercresseyi. Gene 2016; 585:119-127. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|