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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Molecular Biology and Ecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1556002
The molecular mechanism of ovary development in Thamnaconus septentrionalis induced by temperature rising via transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis
Provisionally accepted
Yan Liu 1 Wengang Xu 1 Xueli Zhang 1 Jiulong Wang 1 Xiaoling Chen 2 Xiaoyan Yu 3 Jun Zeng 4 Yanqing Wu 5
Liming Liu 1*- 1 Yantai University, Yantai, China
- 2 Rizhao Ocean and Fishery Research Institute, Rizhao, China
- 3 National Fisheries Technology Extension Center, Beijing, China
- 4 Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China
- 5 East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
The greenfin horse-faced filefish, Thamnaconus septentrionalis, which widely distributes in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean, is an important commercial fish species with characteristic bluegreen fins, rough skin and a spine-like first dorsal fin. Until recent years, T. septentrionalis caught attention of conservation and development due to its sharply declined population, and its great economic value as an important marine aquaculture fish species. To protect resources of T. septentrionalis and develop its fishery industry, artificial breeding is essential and has been carried out gradually in local farms in China. Previous study has shown that temperature could effectively influence the gonadal development in T. septentrionalis at the overwintering state. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of temperature on the gonadal development in T. septentrionalis was still unrevealed and worth further study. In the present study, we systematically investigated the effects of temperature on the ovary development in T. septentrionalis by transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis. The results showed that temperature rising significantly regulated the metabolic status in T. septentrionalis, and could promote ovary development and maturation process by regulation of the pathways of ECM-receptor interaction, Regulation of actin cytoskeleton, Oocyte meiosis, Steroid hormone biosynthesis, Lipid metabolism, ABC transporters, Protein digestion and absorption, Biosynthesis of amino acids pathways, etc. The histological, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses showed that the oocytes in the ovaries of T. septentrionalis undergoing the temperature rising developed from phase II to III with the increased gonadal somatic index (GSI) and 17β-estradiol (E2) level. The present study for the first time elucidated the potential molecular regulatory mechanism of the ovary development in T.septentrionalis induced by temperature, and will provide valuable information for artificial breeding of T. septentrionalis and conservation of T. septentrionalis fishery resources in the future.
Keywords: Thamnaconus septentrionalis, Ovary development, molecular mechanism, Transcriptomics, Metabolomics
Received: 06 Jan 2025; Accepted: 18 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Xu, Zhang, Wang, Chen, Yu, Zeng, Wu and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Liming Liu, Yantai University, Yantai, China
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