Highlights DNA methylation profiles of two immune genes IL1 and Casp9 present sexual dimorphism in adult gonad of zebrafish with higher methylation levels in the testes when compared to the ovaries. Sex-biased differences in methylation profiles need to be taken into account when analyzing immune responses in fish. IL1 gene expression differs between ovaries and testes, being higher in male gonadal tissue. An inverse, although not significant, correlation was found between DNA methylation and gene expression levels, IL1 and Casp9 might be two potential epimarkers to predict sexual dimorphic DNA methylation profiles in fish gonads.
To achieve sustainable fisheries implies that resources' management is carried out in accordance with biologically and ecologically relevant processes. In this context, to infer the boundaries of the genetic stocks along their distribution is crucial to avoid the depletion of genetic diversity induced by fishing pressure. Despite its remarkable ecological role and commercial interest, there are still many uncertainties about the genetic population structure and local adaptation processes of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) along its distributional range. Our analysis revealed that in addition to the uneven genetic study effort throughout its distribution, there are discrepancies when it comes to delimiting populations, especially in the waters surrounding the Iberian Peninsula. Also, powers of the genetic markers applied in the studies were examined, showing that allozymes detected a larger number of significant pairwise values of genetic differentiation, while mtDNA-RFLP detected a greater degree of differentiation among genetic stocks. Moreover, large values of genetic diversity in all the locations were identified regardless of marker type. Thereby, we provide a discussion of updated knowledge, contributing to shape long-term and genetically sustainable harvest strategies for this pelagic fish, since our findings indicate a mismatch between the genetic stocks and the managed stocks currently defined.
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