中国水产科学2025，Vol.32Issue(11)：1558-1570,13.DOI:10.12264/JFSC2025-0164
金鱼12种组织转录组图谱及头瘤特异表达基因解析
Transcriptomic atlas of 12 goldfish(Carassius auratus)tissues reveals genes specifically expressed in the hood
摘要
Abstract
Goldfish(Carassius auratus)is a globally popular freshwater ornamental fish that has undergone centuries of artificial selection,giving rise to diverse morphological traits.Among these,the development of a fleshy"hood"(also known as a wen or head growth)on the head is one of the most unusual and prized features in fancy goldfish varieties.This benign overgrowth,composed of proliferative epidermal and dermal connective tissues,is extremely rare among fishes and plays a decisive role in determining aesthetic and commercial value.Despite its importance,the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying hood formation remain poorly understood,and no dedicated transcriptomic analysis has previously addressed this trait.To investigate the molecular basis of hood development,we performed a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of 12 tissues in goldfish,including the hood,using RNA sequencing and integrative bioinformatic approaches.A tissue-wide gene expression atlas was constructed,and differential expression analyses were conducted between the hood and the other tissues.We identified 92 genes that were significantly upregulated in the hood tissue,representing strong candidate genes associated with the hood trait.Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these hood-specific genes are primarily involved in biological processes,such as cell proliferation,extracellular matrix(ECM)organization,and tissue development,aligning with the histological features of the hood,characterized by fibroblast overgrowth and abundant ECM deposition.Among the candidate genes,several well-annotated ones appear to be key regulators of connective tissue growth.For example,tgfbr1b,encoding the type I receptor of Transforming Growth Factor-β(TGF-β),showed hood-exclusive expression and is known to promote fibroblast proliferation and ECM production.col7a1,encoding the α1 chain of type VII collagen,contributes to dermal-epidermal anchoring fibrils and supports the mechanical integrity of connective tissues.tnfaip6 encodes TSG-6,a hyaluronan-binding protein that stabilizes ECM in wound healing and inflammatory responses,while hapln1a encodes a link protein that crosslinks hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans,enhancing matrix elasticity.Furthermore,alpl,a marker of osteogenesis and tissue regeneration,was significantly upregulated in the hood,suggesting an activation of regenerative pathways.In addition,we identified 10 novel hood-specific genes that showed no homology to known genes in current databases.These were provisionally named hood-related gene 1 through hood-related gene 10(hrg1-hrg10)and may represent goldfish-specific genetic components involved in this unique morphological trait.Together,these findings suggest that goldfish hood formation results from the overactivation or prolonged activity of skin growth and regeneration pathways,leading to benign hyperplasia of dermal and epidermal tissues.The hood thus offers a valuable model for studying genetic regulation of non-malignant tissue overgrowth and regeneration in vertebrates.Beyond its biological insights,this study provides the first comprehensive multi-organ transcriptomic resource in goldfish,filling a critical gap in cyprinid genomics.The identified candidate genes and the novel hrg family lay a solid foundation for future functional investigations,such as expression validation and knockout or overexpression studies,to further elucidate the molecular control of hood development.These findings also offer practical implications for ornamental fish breeding,enabling molecular marker-assisted selection to enhance hood traits in commercial lines.In summary,our results contribute to the understanding of a distinctive vertebrate phenotype and broaden our knowledge of tissue growth and morphological regulation driven by genetic and transcriptomic mechanisms.关键词
金鱼/头瘤组织/组织特异性表达/转录组Key words
goldfish/hood/tissue-specific expression/transcriptome分类
农业科技引用本文复制引用
刘得凯,黄崇,李绘娟,张蓉,朱华,张照斌..金鱼12种组织转录组图谱及头瘤特异表达基因解析[J].中国水产科学,2025,32(11):1558-1570,13.基金项目
国家自然科学基金项目(22176004,22476002) （22176004,22476002）
北京市渔业创新团队项目(BAIC07-2024-02,BAIC07-2025-02) （BAIC07-2024-02,BAIC07-2025-02）
北京市乡村振兴农业科技项目(NY2401170225). （NY2401170225）
