AUTHOR=Nie Miaomiao , Ni Weilin , Wang Lihan , Gao Qiang , Liu Dan , Tian Fei , Wang Zhenji , Zhang Cunfang , Qi Delin TITLE=Insights Into miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Mechanisms of Cold Adaptation in Gymnocypris eckloni: Ubiquitin-Mediated Proteolysis Is Pivotal for Adaptive Energy Metabolism JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.903995 DOI=10.3389/fgene.2022.903995 ISSN=1664-8021 ABSTRACT=

This study aimed to understand cold stress adaptations mechanism in fish. Thus, the transcriptional response to cold conditions in Gymnocypris eckloni was evaluated using RNA-seq and microRNA (miRNA)-seq analyses. Low-temperature (LT) group G. eckloni was cultivated outdoors in waters cooled to 2–4°C for 3 weeks, while individuals in the control temperature (CT) group were exposed to 14–16°C. Significantly different responses were observed in both mRNA and miRNA expression profiles, with more mRNAs (1,833 and 1,869 mRNAs were up- and downregulated, respectively) and fewer miRNAs (15 and 6 were up- and downregulated, respectively) observed in the LT group individuals relative to the CT group individuals. A miRNA-mRNA network involved in the regulation of G. eckloni responses to cold stress was constructed; this network included ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, protein processing, and oxidative phosphorylation. These results provided new insights into mechanisms of cold tolerance by fish, including decreased metabolic activity in addition to proteolysis.