Publications by authors named "Zhengyong Wen"

Vertebrates have undergone two rounds of whole-genome duplication (WGD), termed 1R and 2R, with a third, teleost-specific duplication (TSGD or 3R) occurring in ray-finned fishes. In the order Cypriniformes, additional lineage-specific WGDs have further contributed to species diversification. While polyploidy is well characterized in species like common carp and goldfish, other polyploid taxa-particularly loaches-remain understudied.

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Thus far, various aquaculture modes have been developed to facilitate the rapid growth of the aquaculture industry and thus meet the heavy demand for aquatic products for human consumption. However, the effects of different culture modes on fish muscular nutritional content and volatile flavor are rarely reported. In the present study, we evaluated the differences in muscular nutrition content and dietary flavor between Chinese longsnout catfish () groups cultured in two different modes, i.

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Fatty acyl desaturases (Fads) are known to play critical roles in the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) in fish species. To date, research on Fads in fish has predominantly focused on Fads2, while studies on Fads1 have been rarely reported. Acipenseriformes, commonly known as Chondrostei, are an ancient fish lineage with unique evolutionary history.

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Proteins for elongation of very long-chain fatty acids (ELOVLs) are critical for the synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), and they are one group of the rate-limiting enzymes responsible for the initial condensation reaction within the fatty acid elongation. Elovl8 is a newly identified member of the ELOVL protein family, and its evolutionary and functional characterizations are still rarely reported. Here, we identified two paralogues (named Sc and Sc) from Chinese perch (), and then their molecular and evolutionary characteristics, as well as potential roles involved in LC-PUFA biosynthesis, were examined.

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In this study, we constructed a chromosome-scale reference genome assembly for Lixian plateau loach, Triplophysa lixianensis, by integration of MGI short-read, PacBio HiFi long-read and Hi-C sequencing technologies. A 668-Mb haplotypic genome assembly was obtained for a female T. lixianensis, and 98.

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The Chinese sturgeon () is an ancient, complex autooctoploid fish species that is currently facing conservation challenges throughout its distribution. To comprehensively characterize the expression profiles of genes and their associated biological functions across different tissues, we performed a transcriptome-scale gene expression analysis, focusing on housekeeping genes (HKGs), tissue-specific genes (TSGs), and co-expressed gene modules in various tissues. We collected eleven tissues to establish a transcriptomic repository, including data from Pacific Biosciences isoform sequencing (PacBio Iso-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and then obtained 25,434 full-length transcripts, with lengths from 307 to 9515 bp and an N50 of 3195 bp.

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cAMP response element binding (CREB) protein 2 (CRTC2) is a transcriptional coactivator of CREB and plays an important role in the immune system. Thus far, the physiological roles of Crtc2 in teleost are still poorly understood. In this study, the crtc2 gene was identified and characterized from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco; therefore, the gene is termed as pfcrtc2), and its evolutionary and molecular characteristics as well as potential immunity-related roles were investigated.

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Article Synopsis
  • Elongases of very-long-chain fatty acids (Elovls) are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) by elongating fatty acyl chains, with most research focused on teleosts rather than chondrichthyans such as the Chinese sturgeon.
  • In this study, researchers identified and characterized a specific Elovl gene from the endangered Chinese sturgeon, revealing its evolutionary conservation and function in elongating various fatty acids, which is essential for LC-PUFA biosynthesis.
  • Findings showed high expression levels of this Elovl in the liver and brain during development and an increase in expression when the sturgeon were fed diets lacking LC-PUFAs
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Endemic to the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China, elongate loach (Leptobotia elongata) has become a vulnerable species mainly due to overfishing and habitat destruction. Thus far, no genome data of this species are reported. As a result, lacking of such genomic information has restricted practical conservation and utilization of this economic fish.

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To elucidate the mechanism behind channel catfish feminization induced by high temperature, gonad samples were collected from XY pseudo-females and wild-type females and subjected to high-throughput sequencing for Whole-Genome-Bisulfite-Seq (WGBS) and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq). The analysis revealed 50 differentially methylated genes between wild-type females and XY pseudo-females, identified through the analysis of KEGG pathways and GO enrichment in the promoter of the genome and differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Among these genes, multiple differential methylation sites observed within the srd5a2 gene.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) are important glycosylated proteins in lysosomal membranes that influence phagocytosis, autophagy, and immunity in mammals, but their functions in aquatic species are not well understood.
  • In the study, three LAMP genes were cloned and analyzed in largemouth bass, revealing their coding sequences and high conservation across various fish species, as well as significant expression in key tissues, especially the brain, heart, and spleen.
  • The research also demonstrated that these genes respond differently to starvation and refeeding, indicating their potential roles in immune responses and energy regulation in largemouth bass.
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Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1) mediates the innate immune response to a variety of microbes through recognizing cell wall components (such as bacterial lipoproteins) in mammals. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of TLR1 involved in pathogen immunity in the representative hybrid yellow catfish () has not been well studied. In the present study, we identified the gene from the hybrid yellow catfish, and further comparative synteny data from multiple species confirmed that the gene is highly conserved in teleosts.

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Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that can recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PMPs) and play important roles in the innate immune system in vertebrates. In this study, we identified a teleost-specific tlr22 gene from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) and its immune roles in response to different pathogens were also determined. The open reading frame (ORF) of the tlr22 was 2892 bp in length, encoding a protein of 963 amino acids.

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As a major mediator of cellular response to viral infection in mammals, Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) was proved to respond to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). However, the molecular mechanism by which TLR3 functions in the viral infection response in teleosts remains to be investigated. In this study, the gene of the hybrid yellow catfish was identified and characterized by comparative genomics.

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The present study identified that exposure to 5, 10, and 20 µg/L Cd for 48 days reduced growth, increased Cd accumulation and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation, and induced ER stress and cellular apoptosis in the liver in a dose-dependent manner. However, the survival rate was not affected by Cd. The increased production of ROS might result from reduced catalase (CAT) and copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) activities, which might trigger ER stress pathways and subsequently induce apoptotic responses, ultimately leading to growth inhibition.

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Melanin is the most prevalent pigment in animals. Its synthesis involves a series of functional genes. Particularly, teleosts have more copies of these genes related to the melanin synthesis than tetrapods.

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Background: Although almost all extant spider species live in terrestrial environments, a few species live fully submerged in freshwater or seawater. The intertidal spiders (genus Desis) built silk nests within coral crevices can survive submerged in high tides. The diving bell spider, Argyroneta aquatica, resides in a similar dynamic environment but exclusively in freshwater.

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The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) plays an important role in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Melanocortin-2 receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2) modulates trafficking, ligand binding, and signaling of MC4R. The Northern snakehead () is an economically important freshwater fish native to East Asia.

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In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of was first determined and its phylogenetic position was investigated. The mitogenome was 16568 bp long and showed a typical teleost orders, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosome RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and a D-loop region. The overall nucleotide composition included A, 25.

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The aim of this study was to determine the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) and the phylogenetic location of the . The mitogenome was 15,736 bp in length, containing 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosome RNA genes (rRNAs), and a control region (CR). The overall nucleotide composition is as follows: A, 35.

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In present study, the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of was determined and the phylogenetic relationship of Channidae fish was reconsidered. The mitogenome of the is 16547 bp in length, containing 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosome RNA genes (rRNAs), a control region (D-loop) and an origin region of replication on the light-strand (O). The overall nucleotide composition is 28.

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KCNK3 is a two-pore-domain (K) potassium channel involved in maintaining ion homeostasis, mediating thermogenesis, controlling breath and modulating electrical membrane potential. Although the functions of this channel have been widely described in mammals, its roles in fishes are still rarely known. Here, we identified two kcnk3 genes from the euryhaline rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus), and their roles related to fatty acids metabolism and osmoregulation were investigated.

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Leptin has been proved to play critical roles in energy metabolism, body weight regulation, food intake, reproduction and immunity in mammals. However, its roles are still largely unclear in fish. Here, we report two leptin genes (lepA and lepB) from the Northern snakehead (Channa argus) and their transcriptions in response to different feeding status.

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As one important member of the two-pore-domain potassium channel (K) family, potassium channel subfamily K member 3 (KCNK3) has been reported for thermogenesis regulation, energy homeostasis, membrane potential conduction, and pulmonary hypertension in mammals. However, its roles in fishes are far less examined and published. In the present study, we identified two kcnk3 genes (kcnk3a and kcnk3b) in an euryhaline fish, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), by molecular cloning, genomic survey and laboratory experiments to investigate their potential roles for osmoregulation.

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Limbs originated from paired fish fins are an important innovation in Gnathostomata. Many studies have focused on limb development-related genes, of which the T-box transcription factor 4 gene () has been considered as one of the most essential factors in the regulation of the hindlimb development. We previously confirmed pelvic fin loss in -knockout zebrafish.

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