Genome-Wide Identification, Expression and Response to Estrogen of Vitellogenin Gene Family in Sichuan Bream ( Sinibrama taeniatus )

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2024-06, Vol.25 (12), p.6739
• Main Authors: Zhao, Zhe, Peng, Li, Zhao, Qiang, Wang, Zhijian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 17β-estradiol; Amino acids; Animals; Estradiol - metabolism; Estradiol - pharmacology; Estrogen; estrogen receptor; Estrogen Receptor alpha - genetics; Estrogen Receptor alpha - metabolism; Estrogens; Estrogens - metabolism; Estrogens - pharmacology; Female; Fish Proteins - genetics; Fish Proteins - metabolism; Fishes; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; gene family; Genes; Genome; Genomes; Genomics; Liver - metabolism; Molecular weight; Multigene Family; Ovaries; Peptides; Phenols; Phosphorylation; Phylogeny; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Sinibrama taeniatus; Trout; Vertebrates; Vitellogenesis - genetics; vitellogenin; Vitellogenins - genetics; Vitellogenins - metabolism
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126739

To enhance our understanding of teleost reproductive physiology, we identified six Sichuan bream ( ) vitellogenin genes ( - ) and characterized their sequence structures. We categorized them into type Ⅰ ( , , and ), type Ⅱ ( ) and type Ⅲ ( ) based on differences in their subdomain structure. The promoter sequence of has multiple estrogen response elements, and their abundance appears to correlate with the responsiveness of gene expression to estrogen. Gene expression analyses revealed that the vitellogenesis of Sichuan bream involves both heterosynthesis and autosynthesis pathways, with the dominant pathway originating from the liver. The drug treatment experiments revealed that 17β-estradiol (E ) tightly regulated the level of mRNA in the liver. Feeding fish with a diet containing 100 μg/g E for three weeks significantly induced gene expression and ovarian development, leading to an earlier onset of vitellogenesis. Additionally, it was observed that the initiation of transcription required E binding to its receptor, a process primarily mediated by estrogen receptor alpha in Sichuan bream. The findings of this study provide novel insights into the molecular information of the vitellogenin gene family in teleosts, thereby contributing to the regulation of gonadal development in farmed fish.