TY - JOUR TI - Effects of a High-Fat Diet on Intestinal and Gonadal Metabolism in Female and Male Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus AU - Zhang, Shuangyan AU - Ru, Xiaoshang AU - Zhang, Libin AU - Gonçalves, David AU - Yang, Hongsheng AU - Xu, Jialei T2 - Biology AB - Parental nutrient reserves are directly related to reproductive performance in sea cucumbers. This study focused on the lipid requirements of male and female sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus during the reproductive stage and analyzed their physiological responses to a high-fat diet (HFD). The intestinal lipid metabolites and microbiome profile changed significantly in animals fed with the HFD, as given by an upregulation of metabolites related to lipid metabolism and an increase in the predominance of Proteobacteria in the microbiome, respectively. The metabolic responses of male and female sea cucumbers to the HFD differed, which in turn could have triggered sex-related differences in the intestinal microbiome. These results suggest that the lipid content in diets can be differentially adjusted for male and female sea cucumbers to improve nutrition and promote reproduction. This data contributes to a better understanding of the reproductive biology and sex differences of sea cucumbers. DA - 2023/02// PY - 2023 DO - 10.3390/biology12020212 DP - www.mdpi.com VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 212 LA - en SN - 2079-7737 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/2/212 Y2 - 2023/04/11/09:54:51 KW - high-fat diet KW - intestinal microbes KW - physiological metabolic responses KW - sea cucumber KW - sex differences ER - TY - JOUR TI - Examination of sex-related differences in intestinal and gonadal lipid metabolism in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus AU - Zhang, Shuangyan AU - Ru, Xiaoshang AU - Zhang, Libin AU - Gonçalves, David AU - Yang, Hongsheng T2 - Aquaculture AB - Reproduction of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is critical for aquaculture production. Gonadal development is the basis of reproduction, and lipids, which are among the main nutrients required for gonadal development, directly affect reproduction. We investigated whether gonadal and intestinal lipid metabolism differed between male and female A. japonicus. Transcriptome analysis of the intestines of sexually mature male and female wild-caught individuals revealed differences in gene expression, with 27 and 39 genes being up-regulated in females and males, respectively. In particular, the expression of the fatty acid synthase gene was higher in males than in females. Metabolome analysis of the gonads identified 141 metabolites that were up-regulated and 175 metabolites that were down-regulated in the testes compared with the ovaries in the positive/negative mode of an LC-MS/MS analysis. A variety of polyunsaturated fatty acids were found at higher concentrations in the testes than in the ovaries. 16 s rDNA sequencing analysis showed that the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota were similar between males and females. These results suggest that sex differences in intestinal metabolism of A. japonicus are not due to differences in the microbiota, and we speculate that gonadal metabolism may be related to intestinal morphology. This information might be useful in improving the reproductive efficiency of sea cucumbers in captivity. DA - 2023/01/15/ PY - 2023 DO - 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2022.738787 DP - ScienceDirect VL - 562 SP - 738787 J2 - Aquaculture LA - en SN - 0044-8486 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848622009048 Y2 - 2023/04/11/10:01:48 KW - Gonads KW - Intestines KW - Lipid metabolism KW - Sea cucumber KW - Sex differences ER - TY - JOUR TI - Physiology, endocrinology and chemical communication in aggressive behaviour of fishes AU - Silva, Melina Coelho da AU - Canário, Adelino Vicente Mendonça AU - Hubbard, Peter Colin AU - Gonçalves, David T2 - Journal of Fish Biology AB - Fishes show remarkably diverse aggressive behaviour. Aggression is expressed to secure resources; adjusting aggression levels according to context is key to avoid negative consequences for fitness and survival. Nonetheless, despite its importance, the physiological basis of aggression in fishes is still poorly understood. Several reports suggest hormonal modulation of aggression, particularly by androgens, but contradictory studies have been published. Studies exploring the role of chemical communication in aggressive behaviour are also scant, and the pheromones involved remain to be unequivocally characterized. This is surprising as chemical communication is the most ancient form of information exchange and plays a variety of other roles in fishes. Furthermore, the study of chemical communication and aggression is relevant at the evolutionary, ecological and economic levels. A few pioneering studies support the hypothesis that aggressive behaviour, at least in some teleosts, is modulated by “dominance pheromones” that reflect the social status of the sender, but there is little information on the identity of the compounds involved. This review aims to provide a global view of aggressive behaviour in fishes and its underlying physiological mechanisms including the involvement of chemical communication, and discusses the potential use of dominance pheromones to improve fish welfare. Methodological considerations and future research directions are also outlined. DA - 2021/// PY - 2021 DO - 10.1111/jfb.14667 J2 - J Fish Biol LA - en SN - 0022-1112, 1095-8649 UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfb.14667 Y2 - 2021/01/26/08:12:46 ER -