DNA barcoding the ichthyofauna of the Yangtze River: Insights from the molecular inventory of a mega-diverse temperate fauna.

Intensification of inland fisheries and aquatic landscape conversion led to a drastic decline of fish populations in the Yangtze River (YR) during the last decades. This situation urges for the development of a large-scale molecular assessment of YR ichthyofauna to further develop standardized methods of molecular identification for conservation and fisheries management purposes. We present here the results of a large-scale campaign to DNA barcode YR freshwater fishes that succeeded in producing 1,424 new DNA barcodes for 123 species.

Lanlabeo duanensis, a new genus and species of labeonin fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from southern China.

Lanlabeo, a new genus of fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae, is described from the Pearl River drainage basin in Guangxi Province, southern China. This new genus is distinguished from all other genera of the cyprinid tribe Labeonini by a combination of morphological and phylogenetic characters. It differs morphologically from all other Asian labeonins in its uniquely modified oromandibular morphology.

Adaptive Evolution of the Gene and Scales Loss in Schizothoracine Fishes in Response to Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

Schizothoracine is the predominant wild fish subfamily of the Tibetan plateau (TP). Their scales, pharyngeal teeth and barbels have gradually regressed with increasing altitude. Schizothoracine have been divided into three groups: primitive, specialized and highly specialized.

Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing for SNP discovery and high-density genetic map construction in southern catfish ().

Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and high-density genetic maps are important resources for marker-assisted selection, mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genome structure analysis. Although linkage maps in certain catfish species have been obtained, high-density maps remain unavailable in the economically important southern catfish (). Recently developed restriction site-associated DNA (RAD) markers have proved to be a promising tool for SNP detection and genetic map construction.

Selection and environmental adaptation along a path to speciation in the Tibetan frog .

Tibetan frogs, , are differentiated genetically but not morphologically along geographical and elevational gradients in a challenging environment, presenting a unique opportunity to investigate processes leading to speciation. Analyses of whole genomes of 63 frogs reveal population structuring and historical demography, characterized by highly restricted gene flow in a narrow geographic zone lying between matrilines West (W) and East (E). A population found only along a single tributary of the Yalu Zangbu River has the mitogenome only of E, whereas nuclear genes of W comprise 89-95% of the nuclear genome.

FishTEDB: a collective database of transposable elements identified in the complete genomes of fish.

http://www.fishtedb.org/.

InP/ZnS QDs exposure induces developmental toxicity in rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) embryos.

We investigated the in vivo toxicity of InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in Chinese rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) embryos. The 72 h post-fertilization (hpf) LC (median lethal concentration) was 1678.007 nmol/L.

Characterization and expression analyses of somatolactin-α and -β genes in rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus) following waterborne cadmium exposure.

Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends), somatolactin-α (rmSLα) and -β (rmSLβ) were identified from the pituitary gland of rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus). The full-length cDNAs of these two genes were 1288 and 801 bp, encoding prepeptides of 250 and 228 amino acids residues, respectively. rmSLβ can be detected in the brain (including the pituitary), ovary, testis, and gill, while rmSLα was mainly expressed in the brain.

The complete mitochondrial genome of (Teleostei, Cyprinidae).

Here, we reported the complete mitochondrial genome of , which is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. The genome was 16,579 bp in length, containing 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, a non-coding control region (D-loop), and 13 protein-coding genes. The overall base composition of was 33.

Effects of subchronic exposure to waterborne cadmium on H-P-I axis hormones and related genes in rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus).

The H (hypothalamic)-P (pituitary)-I (interrenal) axis is critical in the stress response and other activities of fish. To further investigate cadmium (Cd) toxicity on the H-P-I axis and to identify its potential regulatory genes in fish, the adult female rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus) were exposed to subchronic (5weeks) levels of waterborne Cd in the present study. This kind of treatment caused dose-dependent decline in fish growth, with significance in the high dose group (100μg/L).

Endogenous Retroviral Insertions Indicate a Secondary Introduction of Domestic Sheep Lineages to the Caucasus and Central Asia between the Bronze and Iron Age.

Sheep were one of the first livestock species domesticated by humans. After initial domestication in the Middle East they were spread across Eurasia. The modern distribution of endogenous Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus insertions in domestic sheep breeds suggests that over the course of millennia, successive introductions of improved lineages and selection for wool quality occurred in the Mediterranean region and most of Asia.

CuInS/ZnS QD exposure induces developmental toxicity, oxidative stress and DNA damage in rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) embryos and larvae.

Chinese rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) embryos were used as an experimental model to investigate the effects of CuInS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on the early life stages of G. rarus. Normal developmental parameters (survival rate, body length and average heart rate), biomarker genes [stress response (Hsp70), detoxification (Cyp1a), organizer function and axis formation (Wnt8α), and muscle (Mstn)], enzymatic activity and DNA damage were recorded as endpoints in the developing embryos/larvae after exposure until 96h post-fertilization (hpf).

Geographical differentiation of the fish complex (Teleostei: Siluriformes) in the Hengduan Mountain Region, China: Phylogeographic evidence of altered drainage patterns.

The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau caused significant ecogeographical changes that had a major impact on the exchange and isolation of regional fauna and flora. Furthermore, Pleistocene glacial oscillations were linked to temporal large-scale landmass and drainage system reconfigurations near the Hengduan Mountain Region and might have facilitated speciation and promoted biodiversity in southwestern China. However, strong biotic evidence supporting this role is lacking.

Development of a vaccine against Streptococcus agalactiae in fish based on truncated cell wall surface anchor proteins.

Streptococcus agalactiae is an important fish pathogen and a leading cause of major economic losses to the aquaculture industry worldwide. In the present study, the two truncated recombinant proteins of cell wall surface anchor family of S agalactiae, CWSAP465 and CWSAP1035, were expressed in Escherichia coli, and their immunogenicity and efficacy against the bacterium were evaluated in tilapia and turbot. The results showed that the prokaryotic expression of the two constructs, p32a-CWSAP465 and p32a-CWSAP1035, gave rise to a high yield of soluble proteins with good immunogenicity.

Transcriptome profiling analysis of rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) gills after waterborne cadmium exposure.

Rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) is a widely used experimental fish in risk assessments of aquatic pollutants in China. Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals in the world; however, few studies have used fish gills, a multi-functional organ. In this study, we characterized the differential expression of adult female rare minnow gills after sub-chronic waterborne Cd (75μg/L CdCl2) exposure for 35d.

Local adaptation of Gymnocypris przewalskii (Cyprinidae) on the Tibetan Plateau.

Divergent selection among environments affects species distributions and can lead to speciation. In this article, we investigated the transcriptomes of two ecotypes of scaleless carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii przewalskii and G. p.