Transcriptome profiles of F1 hybrids (Acanthopagrus schlegelii♂ × Pagrus major♀) and parents reveal hybrid effects on individual development

Abstract

F1 hybrids may have heterosis in a wide range of traits, such as environmental adaptation or growth condition. To facilitate research on F1 hybrids of Acanthopagrus schlegelii ♂ × Pagrus major ♀, differentially expressed genes of the whole body transcriptome between F1 hybrids and parents were analysed using Illumina high‐throughput sequencing. The results showed that genes related to development and immune process had significantly expressed in F1 hybrids. It revealed that F1 hybrids had quick growth and strong resistance to disease versus A. schlegelii and P. major. This is the first report on the transcriptome of A. schlegelii, P. major and their F1 hybrids at 1 month of age and provides an important foundational data for studying molecular mechanisms of heterosis.

Integration of mRNA and miRNA Profiling Reveals Heterosis in Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus Hybrid Tilapia

“…The fact that many aquatic animals such as fishes and shellfishes produce offspring with improved traits through interspecific hybridization is widely exploited in aquaculture [ 12 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. In crosses of O. niloticus × O. aureus , 100% of hybrid tilapia are male [ 39 ].…”

“…Compared to mammals, fishes are more likely to hybridize between species, so fish hybrids make good models to explore heterosis and hybrid variation. Recent studies of differences in allelic gene expression between interspecific fish hybrids and parents based on transcriptome analysis have attempted to explain the mechanism of superior hybrid traits [ 12 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. Non-additive expression represents a new gene expression pattern in hybrids, which is important for the realization of heterosis [ 54 , 55 , 56 ].…”

“…This form of expression results from cis- and trans-regulation between two parental genomes [ 1 , 57 ], with these interactions resulting in significant deviations between hybrid gene expression values and average parental expression values. Non-additive gene expression is common in hybrids of aquatic animals, such as catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco × p. vachelli [ 15 ], groupers Epinephelus fuscogutatus × E. lanceolatus [ 53 ], seabreams Acanthopagrus schlegelii × Pagrus major [ 12 ], and two subfamilies of pearl oysters Pinctada fucata [ 58 ]. These non-additively expressed genes are closely related to growth rate, hypoxia tolerance, and stress resistance in hybrids.…”

“…Complemented by developments in molecular biology, transcriptional profiling tools such as cDNA microarrays and RNA-sequencing technologies have enabled the mechanisms of hybrid vigor to be investigated at a genome-wide expression level in fishes. Regulation of cis- and trans-acting elements and the non-additive expression of genes (including non-coding sRNAs) in hybrids may produce global transcriptional differences between fish hybrids and their parents [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], resulting in heterosis in hybrid phenotypes.…”

Transcriptome Profiling Revealed Basis for Growth Heterosis in Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus ♀ × O. aureus ♂)

“…Studies in transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolism, and epigenomics have provided new insights into parental genomic interactions, leading to regulatory and network changes and heterosis [1,8,9]. Recently, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways related to heterosis have been identified through the transcriptome profiles analysis in aquatic species, such as hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscogutatus ♀× E. lanceolatus ♂) [10,11], hybrid pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus ♀× T. rubripes ♂) [12], hybrid tambacu (Colossoma macropomum ♀× Piaractus mesopotamicus ♂) [13], hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus ♀× O. aureus ♂) [14,15], hybrid carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis ♀× H. molitrix ♂) [16], hybrid seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii ♂× Pagrus major ♀) [17], hybrid cypriniformes [Megalobrama amblycephala ♀× (M. amblycephala ♀× Culter alburnus ♂) ♂] [18], hybrid Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis Japanese strain ♀× P.sinensis Qingxi black turtle ♂) [19], sea cucumber (Chinese Apostichopus japonicus ♀× Russian A. japonicus ♂) [20], and hybrid abalone (Haliotis gigantea ♀× H. discus hannai ♂) [21]. These works could help us to further understand the molecular mechanism of the heterosis in various aquatic species.…”