Comparative analyses of liver transcriptomes reveal the effect of exercise on growth-, glucose metabolism-, and oxygen transport-related genes and signaling pathways in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Grass carp is one of the most common farmed fish and its growth rate has been the focus of various studies. However, the impact of long-term exercise on growth rate of juvenile grass carp has not been clearly established. In this study, a four-month exercise trial and liver transcriptome analysis were performed to investigate changes in growth, liver molecular regulatory network and key genes in grass carp. When compared to the non-exercised grass carp (N-EXF), the exercised grass carp (EXF) showed a significant improvement in growth. Liver transcriptome analysis revealed 1714 significantly up-regulated and 1672 significantly down-regulated genes. These genes were enriched in various signaling pathways. These pathways included: those associated with growth, such as the PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways; those associated with glucose metabolism, such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, insulin and AMPK signaling pathways as well as those associated with oxygen transport, such as HIF-1, PI3K-Akt, PPAR and MAPK signaling pathways. In addition, growth-associated genes, such as ghr, igf1 and igf1r; glucose metabolism-associated genes, such as ins and insr as well as oxygen transport-associated genes, such as vhl, pdha and epo were identified. In conclusion, long-term moderate exercise improved the growth rate of grass carp. Our findings elucidate on changes in the liver molecular regulatory network and functional genes that occur during moderate exercise in fish.