체색 패턴이 다른 개볼락 (Sebastes pachycephalus) 피부 전사체 프로파일링

Abstract

The body color pattern in fish is a distinctive feature for species identification. The blass bloched rockfish Sebastes pachycephalus is a commercially important marine fish species, distributed in the central and southern parts of Korea and south Hokkaido of Japan. It has a morphological feature divided into four subspecies according to with or lacking distinct spots on the body surface, and to the location of markings on the body surface. However, the genetic basis of body color pattern of S. pachycephalus is still unknown. Thus we analyzed the transcriptome of S. pachycephalus skin samples using RNA-seq analysis to investigate functional genes related to body color patterns. The experimental skin samples were prepared by classified into ‘Wild type’ (lacking distinct spots and markings) and ‘Color type’ (with distinct spots and marking). Two skin sample transcriptomes were compared pairwise and the results revealed that were 164 differentially expressed unigenes in the skin samples of ‘Wild type’ and ‘Color type’. Gene Ontology analysis of 164 differentially expressed unigenes showed that these genes were included in the functional group of molecular function (2 genes), biological process (46 genes), and cellular component (6 genes). There were several genes that body color type skin specific expression and the genes were CTL (Galactose-specific lectin nattectin), CUL1 (Cullin-1), CMAS (N-acylneuraminate cytidylyltransferase), NMRK2 (Nicotinamide riboside kinase 2), ALOXE3 (Hydroperoxide isomerase ALOXE3), SLC4A7 (sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 3). Our study is the first attempt to search for functional genes involved in the formation of body color patterns in S. pachycephalus. The differentially expressed unigenes obtained in this study can be used as candidate genes for functional gene study related to body coloration of fish.