High-throughput sequencing and fatty acid profile analyses of the Black Amur bream () reveal variation in dietary niche associated with geographic segregation.

Fish dietary niche is a core focus, and it reflects the diversity of resources, habitats, or environments occupied by a species. However, whether geographic segregation among different populations triggers dietary diversification and concomitant fish niche shift remains unknown. In the present study, we selected the Black Amur bream () is a migratory fish species that plays an important role in the material transfer and energy cycling of river ecosystems, inhabiting southern China drainage with multiple geographic populations.

Dietary betaine and/or TMAO affect hepatic lipid accumulation and glycometabolism of Megalobrama amblycephala exposed to a high-carbohydrate diet.

A 12-week experiment was conducted to explore the effects of betaine and/or TMAO on growth, hepatic health, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites in Megalobrama amblycephala fed with high-carbohydrate diets. The diets were as follows: CD group (control diet, 28.5% carbohydrate), HCD group (high-carbohydrate diet, 38.

The efficacy of DNA barcoding in the classification, genetic differentiation, and biodiversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates.

Macroinvertebrates have been recognized as key ecological indicators of aquatic environment and are the most commonly used approaches for water quality assessment. However, species identification of macroinvertebrates (especially of aquatic insects) proves to be very difficult due to the lack of taxonomic expertise in some regions and can become time-consuming. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of DNA barcoding for the classification of benthic macroinvertebrates and investigated the genetic differentiation in seven orders (Insecta: Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata) from four large transboundary rivers of northwest China and further explored its potential application to biodiversity assessment.

Dietary betaine reduces liver lipid accumulation via improvement of bile acid and trimethylamine-N-oxide metabolism in blunt-snout bream.

Dietary betaine supplementation notably ameliorated fatty liver disease caused by high dietary carbohydrate. We hypothesised that the mechanism behind this is the alteration of bile acid and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) metabolism. We further explored this mechanism by supplementing betaine (1%) to the diet of a farmed fish Megalobrama amblycephala.

Comprehensive analysis of population genetics of in the Irtysh River: Abiotic and biotic factors.

As a widely distributed species along the Irtysh River, (Kaschtschenko, 1899) was used as a model to investigate genetic diversity and population structure as well as the influence of environmental factors on population genetics. In this study, we specifically developed 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The analysis of microsatellite and mtDNA markers revealed a high and a moderate genetic diversity across seven populations, respectively.

The influence of warming on the biogeographic and phylogenetic dependence of herbivore-plant interactions.

Evolutionary experience and the phylogenetic relationships of plants have both been proposed to influence herbivore-plant interactions and plant invasion success. However, the direction and magnitude of these effects, and how such patterns are altered with increasing temperature, are rarely studied. Through laboratory functional response experiments, we tested whether the per capita feeding efficiency of an invasive generalist herbivore, the golden apple snail, , is dependent on the biogeographic origin and phylogenetic relatedness of host plants, and how increasing temperature alters these dependencies.

Gene expression patterns indicate that a high-fat-high-carbohydrate diet causes mitochondrial dysfunction in fish.

Expensive and unsustainable fishmeal is increasingly being replaced with cheaper lipids and carbohydrates as sources of energy in aquaculture. Although it is known that the excess of lipids and carbohydrates has negative effects on nutrient utilization, growth, metabolic homeostasis, and health of fish, our current understanding of mechanisms behind these effects is limited. To improve the understanding of diet-induced metabolic disorders (both in fish and other vertebrates), we conducted an eight-week high-fat-high-carbohydrate diet feeding trial on blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), and studied gene expression changes (transcriptome and qPCR) in the liver.

Metabolite and gene expression profiles suggest a putative mechanism through which high dietary carbohydrates reduce the content of hepatic betaine in Megalobrama amblycephala.

Background: High-carbohydrate diets (HCD) are favoured by the aquaculture industry for economic reasons, but they can produce negative impacts on growth and induce hepatic steatosis. We hypothesised that the mechanism behind this is the reduction of hepatic betaine content.

Objective: We further explored this mechanism by supplementing betaine (1%) to the diet of a farmed fish Megalobrama amblycephala.

Transcriptomics, metabolomics and histology indicate that high-carbohydrate diet negatively affects the liver health of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

Background: Global trend of the introduction of high levels of relatively cheap carbohydrates to reduce the amount of costly protein in the aquatic animal feed production has affected the aquaculture of an economically important cyprinid fish, blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). This dietary shift has resulted in increased prevalence of metabolic disorders, often causing economic losses. High dietary intake of carbohydrates, associated with obesity, is one of the major causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in humans.

Population genetic structure of Bellamya aeruginosa (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Viviparidae) in China: weak divergence across large geographic distances.

Bellamya aeruginosa is a widely distributed Chinese freshwater snail that is heavily harvested, and its natural habitats are under severe threat due to fragmentation and loss. We were interested whether the large geographic distances between populations and habitat fragmentation have led to population differentiation and reduced genetic diversity in the species. To estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of B.