The multi-level regulation of clownfish metamorphosis by thyroid hormones

• Published in: Cell reports (Cambridge) Vol. 42; no. 7; p. 112661
• Main Authors: Roux, Natacha, Miura, Saori, Dussenne, Mélanie, Tara, Yuki, Lee, Shu-hua, de Bernard, Simon, Reynaud, Mathieu, Salis, Pauline, Barua, Agneesh, Boulahtouf, Abdelhay, Balaguer, Patrick, Gauthier, Karine, Lecchini, David, Gibert, Yann, Besseau, Laurence, Laudet, Vincent
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 25.07.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; clownfish; coral reef; CP: Developmental biology; CP: Metabolism; Larva - metabolism; Life Sciences; metabolism; metamorphosis; Metamorphosis, Biological - physiology; thyroid hormones; Thyroid Hormones - metabolism; transcriptomic; vision; vision; transcriptomic; CP: Metabolism; thyroid hormones; metabolism; coral reef; CP: Developmental biology; metamorphosis; clownfish; Vision; Coral reef; Thyroid hormones; Transcriptomic; Metabolism; Metamorphosis; Clownfish
• ISSN: 2211-1247; 2211-1247
• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112661

Most marine organisms have a biphasic life cycle during which pelagic larvae transform into radically different juveniles. In vertebrates, the role of thyroid hormones (THs) in triggering this transition is well known, but how the morphological and physiological changes are integrated in a coherent way with the ecological transition remains poorly explored. To gain insight into this question, we performed an integrated analysis of metamorphosis of a marine teleost, the false clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris). We show how THs coordinate a change in color vision as well as a major metabolic shift in energy production, highlighting how it orchestrates this transformation. By manipulating the activity of liver X regulator (LXR), a major regulator of metabolism, we also identify a tight link between metabolic changes and metamorphosis progression. Strikingly, we observed that these regulations are at play in the wild, explaining how hormones coordinate energy needs with available resources during the life cycle. [Display omitted] •A peak of thyroid hormones (THs) marks the onset of metamorphosis in A. ocellaris•THs control opsin gene expression and color preference shift during metamorphosis•THs promote a metabolic shift that is tightly linked with metamorphosis progression•THs participate in aligning metabolism and environmental conditions in the wild Roux et al. find that thyroid hormones coordinate multiple changes in anemonefish larvae, particularly color vision and metabolism. They also identify a link between metabolism and metamorphosis progression. Their research highlights the critical role of thyroid hormones in post-embryonic development of marine fish in captivity and in the wild.