Transcriptome analysis and weighted gene co-expression network reveals potential genes responses to heat stress in turbot Scophthalmus maximus

• Published in: Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part D, Genomics & proteomics Vol. 33; p. 100632
• Main Authors: Huang, Zhihui, Ma, Aijun, Yang, Shuangshuang, Liu, Xiaofei, Zhao, Tingting, Zhang, Jinsheng, Wang, Xin-an, Sun, Zhibin, Liu, Zhifeng, Xu, Rongjing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Animals; apoptosis; China; Fish Proteins - genetics; Fish Proteins - metabolism; Flatfishes - genetics; Flatfishes - physiology; Gene expression; gene expression regulation; Gene Regulatory Networks; genes; Heat stress; heat tolerance; Heat-Shock Response; Hub genes; immune system; insulin; kidneys; Lipid Metabolism; marine fish; RNA-seq; Scophthalmus maximus; Signal Transduction; Thermotolerance; Transcriptome; transcriptomics; turbot; WGCNA; China; Scophthalmus maximus; Hub genes; Heat stress; RNA-seq; Gene expression; WGCNA
• ISSN: 1744-117X; 1878-0407; 1878-0407
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2019.100632

Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is an economically important marine fish cultured in China. In this study, we performed transcriptome gene expression profiling of kidney tissue in turbot exposed to heat stress (20, 23, 25 and 28 °C); control fish were maintained at 14 °C. We investigated gene relationships based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Accordingly, enrichment analyses of GO terms and KEGG pathways showed that several pathways (e.g., fat metabolism, cell apoptosis, immune system, and insulin signaling) may be involved in the response of turbot to heat stress. Moreover, via WGCNA, we identified 19 modules: the dark grey module was mainly enriched in pathways associated with fat metabolism and the FOXO and Jak-STAT signaling pathways. The ivory module was significantly enriched in the P53 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the key hub genes CBP, AKT3, CCND2, PIK3r2, SCOS3, mdm2, cyc-B, and p48 were enriched in the FOXO, Jak-STAT and P53 signaling pathways. This is the first study reporting co-expression patterns of a gene network after heat stress in marine fish. Our results may contribute to our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanism of thermal tolerance. Fig. Network relationship among the modules. A, 32 genes with the highest weight are in dark grey; those enriched in the FOXO signaling pathway were used for the construction of the network in Cytoscape. B, 34 genes with the highest weight are in dark grey; those enriched in the Jak-STAT signaling pathway were used for the construction of the network in Cytoscape. C, 20 genes with the highest weight are in ivory; those enriched in the P53 signaling pathway were used for the construction of the network in Cytoscape. Note: The red markers indicate the key hub genes. [Display omitted] •This is the first study reporting co-expression patterns of gene network after heat stress in marine fish.•We found that the key pathways associated with apoptosis were regulated by heat stress.•Some key hub genes were significantly in the FOXO, Jak-STAT and P53 signaling pathways.