Regulatory mechanism of LncRNAs in gonadal differentiation of hermaphroditic fish, Monopterus albus.

Background: Monopterus albus is a hermaphroditic fish with sex reversal from ovaries to testes via the ovotestes in the process of gonadal development, but the molecular mechanism of the sex reversal was unknown.

Methods: We produced transcriptomes containing mRNAs and lncRNAs in the crucial stages of the gonad, including the ovary, ovotestis and testis. The expression of the crucial lncRNAs and their target genes was detected using qRT‒PCR and in situ hybridization.

Integrated chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation analysis to reveal the critical epigenetic modification and regulatory mechanism in gonadal differentiation of the sequentially hermaphroditic fish, Monopterus albus.

Background: Monopterus albus is a hermaphroditic and economically farmed fish that undergoes sex reversal from ovary to testis via ovotestis during gonadal development. The epigenetic changes that are associated with gonadal development in this species remain unclear.

Methods: We produced DNA methylome, transcriptome, and chromatin accessibility maps of the key stages of gonad development: ovary, ovotestis, and testis.

Chromosome-Scale, Haplotype-Resolved Genome Assembly of Non-Sex-Reversal Females of Swamp Eel Using High-Fidelity Long Reads and Hi-C Data.

The Asian swamp eel () is an excellent model species for studying sex change and chromosome evolution. is also widely reared in East Asia and South-East Asia because of its great nutritional value. The low fecundity of this species (about 300 eggs per fish) greatly hinders fries production and breeding programs.

Optical meta-waveguides for integrated photonics and beyond.

The growing maturity of nanofabrication has ushered massive sophisticated optical structures available on a photonic chip. The integration of subwavelength-structured metasurfaces and metamaterials on the canonical building block of optical waveguides is gradually reshaping the landscape of photonic integrated circuits, giving rise to numerous meta-waveguides with unprecedented strength in controlling guided electromagnetic waves. Here, we review recent advances in meta-structured waveguides that synergize various functional subwavelength photonic architectures with diverse waveguide platforms, such as dielectric or plasmonic waveguides and optical fibers.

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of One Breeding Strain of Asian Swamp Eel (, Zuiew 1793) Using PacBio and Illumina Sequencing Technologies and Phylogenetic Analysis in Synbranchiformes.

Asian swamp eel (, Zuiew 1793) is a commercially important fish due to its nutritional value in Eastern and Southeastern Asia. One local strain of distributed in the Jianghan Plain of China has been subjected to a selection breeding program because of its preferred body color and superiority of growth and fecundity. Some members of the genus have been reclassified into other genera recently.

A high-density genetic map construction and sex-related loci identification in Chinese Giant salamander.

Background: The Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus is an important amphibian species in China because of its increasing economic value, protection status and special evolutionary position from aquatic to terrestrial animal. Its large genome presents challenges to genetic research. Genetic linkage mapping is an important tool for genome assembly and determination of phenotype-related loci.

A high-quality de novo genome assembly of one swamp eel (Monopterus albus) strain with PacBio and Hi-C sequencing data.

The swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is one economically important fish in China and South-Eastern Asia and a good model species to study sex inversion. There are different genetic lineages and multiple local strains of swamp eel in China, and one local strain of M. albus with deep yellow and big spots has been selected for consecutive selective breeding due to superiority in growth rate and fecundity.

Response of chemokine receptors CXCR2 and integrin β2 after Streptococcus agalactiae and Aeromonas hydrophila challenge in GIFT strain of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus.

CXCR2 is a G-protein-coupled cell surface chemokine receptor, and integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane (TM) glycoproteins. These proteins work together to activate neutrophils in the immune defense, but knowledge of their function in tilapia is limited. RACE technology was used to clone the full length of the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus Cxcr2 gene, which included a 954 bp open reading frame encoding 318 amino acids, and the integrin β2 gene, with a 2373 bp open reading frame and 791 amino acids.

Genetic and codon usage bias analyses of major capsid protein gene in Ranavirus.

The Ranavirus (one genus of Iridovidae family) is an emerging pathogen that infects fish, amphibian, and reptiles, and causes great economical loss and ecological threat to farmed and wild animals globally. The major capsid protein (MCP) has been used as genetic typing marker and as target to design vaccines. Herein, the codon usage pattern of 73 MCP genes of Ranavirus and Lymphocystivirus are studied by calculating effective number of codons (ENC), relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), codon adaptation index (CAI), and relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI), and similarity index (SiD).

Molecular characterization of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) from sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and its responses to Aeromonas hydrophila challenge and hypoxia stress.

A novel gene encoding the mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase from sterlet Acipenser ruthenus (Ar-MnSOD) was cloned. The full-length cDNA of MnSOD was of 1040 bp with a 672 bp open reading frame encoding 224 amino acids and the deduced amino acid sequence was located in mitochondria. Sequence comparison analysis showed that Ar-MnSOD was highly similar to MnSODs of invertebrates and vertebrates, especially those of freshwater Cyprinidae fishes and mammals.

Identification of critical sex-biased genes in Andrias davidianus by de novo transcriptome.

The Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus is a protected amphibian with high nutritional and economic value. Understanding its sex determination mechanism is important for improving culture techniques and sex control in breeding. However, little information on the characterization of critical genes involved in sex is available.

MicroRNA repertoire and comparative analysis of Andrias davidianus infected with ranavirus using deep sequencing.

Andrias davidianus is a large and economically important amphibian in China. Ranavirus infection causes serious losses in A. davidianus farming industry.

Comparative transcriptome reveal the potential adaptive evolutionary genes in .

To search the evidence of molecular evolution mechanism for aquatic and cave habitat in , the evolution analysis was carried out among several species transcriptome data. The transcriptome data of , and were obtained from the Genbank and reassembled except . The BLAST search of transcriptome data obtained 1244 single-copy orthologous genes among five species A phylogenetic tree showed to have the closest relationship to .

Catadioptric freeform optical system design for LED off-axis road illumination applications.

The aim of this paper is to develop a new composite structure of catadioptric optical system containing both freeform refractive surface and freeform total internal reflective (TIR) surface for LED road illumination applications. The role of freeform refractive part is to generate the shifted general rectangular illumination pattern to optimally match the shape of the road surface. The application of TIR mechanism is aimed to control the stray light in the sidewalk direction of the road luminaire and maximize the efficient energy efficiency.

Identification and expression of forkhead box genes in the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus.

In the present study, 21 forkhead box (Fox) genes were identified in Andrias davidianus, including 13 full-length genes and eight partial sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most were conserved in other investigated amphibians, whereas the Foxk1 gene was found exclusively in A. davidianus.

Identification and analysis of the β-catenin1 gene in half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis).

β-catenin is a key signalling molecule in the canonical Wnt pathway, which plays a role in cell adhesion, embryogenesis and sex determination. However, little is known about its function in teleosts. We cloned and characterized the full-length β-catenin1 gene from half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), which was designated CS-β-catenin1.