文献类型： 外文期刊

作者： Cao, Zhichen ¹ ; Yin, Denghua ² ; Li, Zhanwei ³ ; Yan, Yan ⁴ ; Zhang, Peng ³ ; Zhang, Sigang ⁴ ; Lin, Danqing ² ; Hua, Zhong ² ; Zhang, Jialu ² ; Ying, Congping ⁵ ; Zhang, Han ¹ ; Xu, Pao ² ; Dong, Guixin ⁶ ; Liu, Kai ¹ ;

作者机构： 1.Shanghai Ocean Univ, Natl Demonstrat Ctr Expt Fisheries Sci Educ, Shanghai 201306, Peoples R China

2.Chinese Acad Fishery Sci, Freshwater Fisheries Res Ctr, Key Lab Freshwater Fisheries & Germplasm Resources, Minist Agr & Rural Affairs, Wuxi 214081, Peoples R China

3.Zhuhai Chimelong Investment & Dev Co Ltd, Zhuhai 519000, Peoples R China

4.Anqing Aquat Technol Promot Ctr Stn, Anqing 246000, Peoples R China

5.Nanjing Agr Univ, Wuxi Fisheries Coll, Wuxi 214081, Peoples R China

6.Guangdong South China Rare Wild Anim Species Conse, Zhuhai 519031, Peoples R China

关键词： Yangtze finless porpoise; environment; blood; visual; digestive system; immune system

期刊名称：FISHES （ 影响因子：2.3； 五年影响因子：2.4 ）

ISSN：

年卷期： 2023 年 8 卷 12 期

页码：

收录情况： SCI

摘要： The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis, YFP) is an endangered species endemic to the Yangtze River in China, and it is the only freshwater whale in the genus Neopho-caena. In terms of protection, three effective conservation strategies exist: in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, and artificial breeding, all of which have been implemented by the Chinese government. Of these, ex situ conservation involves the relocation of Yangtze finless porpoises to semi-natural waters with less human interference, and artificial breeding involves the relocation of Yangtze finless porpoises to a controlled environment that is more strictly managed. To compare and analyze the responsive changes in gene expression of the YFPs between the ex situ and controlled environments, we performed the RNA sequencing of blood tissues from these YFPs. A total of 1201 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 423 were up-regulated in the ex situ population and 778 were up-regulated in the controlled-environment population. Gene enrichment analysis showed that 1201 DEGs between the ex situ and controlled-environment populations were generally enriched for vision-, digestion-and immune-system-related pathways. Further analysis revealed that several key immune system pathways, such as the chemokine signaling pathway and B cell receptor signal pathway, were activated in the ex situ population. In addition, the key pathways related to vision, including phototransduction and the inflam-matory mediator regulation of TRP channels, as well as the pathways related to the digestive system, such as protein digestion and absorption and salivary secretion, were activated in the controlled-environment population. These results suggest that the ex situ populations may respond to complex environmental conditions in semi-natural waters by enhancing their immune function through the increased expression of immune-related genes and that the visual function and protein digestion of the YFPs were improved compared to those of the ex situ population based on the conditions of artificial feeding, such as the higher transparency of the water and regular feeding. This study provides clues for evaluating the adaptability of YFPs to different environments and is a useful reference for future ex situ conservation and artificial breeding.