Transcriptomic analysis of the hepatic response to stress in the red cusk-eel (Genypterus chilensis): Insights into lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and liver steatosis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 12; no. 4; p. e0176447
• Main Authors: Naour, Sebastian, Espinoza, Brisa M, Aedo, Jorge E, Zuloaga, Rodrigo, Maldonado, Jonathan, Bastias-Molina, Macarena, Silva, Herman, Meneses, Claudio, Gallardo-Escarate, Cristian, Molina, Alfredo, Valdés, Juan Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.04.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Alkaline phosphatase; Angiogenesis; Animals; Aquaculture; Aspartate aminotransferase; Atrophy; Autophagy; Biochemical analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Catabolism; Cholesterol; Ctenopharyngodon idella; Divergence; Fatty acids; Fatty liver; Fish; Fish farms; Fishes - genetics; Fishes - metabolism; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Ontology; Genomics; Genypterus chilensis; Gluconeogenesis; Glycolysis; Histology; Ictalurus punctatus; Lipid metabolism; Lipid Metabolism - genetics; Lipids; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Muscles; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - genetics; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Overexpression; Oxidative metabolism; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - genetics; Phagocytosis; Proteasomes; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Rodents; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Signaling; Skeletal muscle; Steatosis; Triglycerides; Trout; Ubiquitin; Chile
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176447

Teleosts exhibit a broad divergence in their adaptive response to stress, depending on the magnitude, duration, and frequency of stressors and the species receiving the stimulus. We have previously reported that the red cusk-eel (Genypterus chilensis), an important marine farmed fish, shows a physiological response to stress that results in increased skeletal muscle atrophy mediated by over-expression of components of the ubiquitin proteasome and autophagy-lysosomal systems. To better understand the systemic effects of stress on the red cusk-eel metabolism, the present study assessed the transcriptomic hepatic response to repetitive handling-stress. Using high-throughput RNA-seq, 259 up-regulated transcripts were found, mostly associated with angiogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and triacylglyceride catabolism. Conversely, 293 transcripts were down-regulated, associated to cholesterol biosynthesis, PPARα signaling, fatty acid biosynthesis, and glycolysis. This gene signature was concordant with hepatic metabolite levels and hepatic oxidative damage. Moreover, the increased plasmatic levels of AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AP (alkaline phosphatase), as well as liver histology suggest stress-induced liver steatosis. This study offers an integrative molecular and biochemical analysis of the hepatic response to handling-stress, and reveals unknown aspects of lipid metabolism in a non-model teleost.