Marine Life Science & Technology最新文献

Mongolian gerbils had high ability to endure both high and cold temperatures. To study the mechanism of high ability for thermal adaptation, gerbils were acclimated to high temperature (30 °C) for 8 weeks, and were measured for metabolic features, body composition as well as mitochondrial content and activities. Lipidomic techniques were used to measure changes in mitochondrial membrane, including potential mitochondrial membrane remodeling during acute thermoregulation in gerbils. Heat acclimated gerbils showed lower basal metabolic rates but no changes in adaptive non-shivering thermogenesis were detected. A significant mitochondrial membrane remodeling with increases in monounsaturated/polyunsaturated free fatty acids ratios was associated with the decrease in metabolic rate. During heat acclimation, mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase activity was elevated in brown adipose tissue, presumably caused by the increase in membrane unsaturation. Our results indicated that mitochondrial membrane remodeling is an important mechanism during heat acclimation in Mongolian gerbils, to reduce the metabolic rate in general while preserving sufficient capability to respond to acute cold. Such a mechanism may allow gerbils to cooperate with wide range of daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00317-6.

To promote sustainable aquaculture, plant-based ingredients are increasingly replacing fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) in aquafeeds, altering broodstock diets and reducing omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFAs), essential for reproductive success and progeny growth. Despite the critical role of ω-3 LC-PUFAs, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in brain function, data on how fry cope with FM/FO-free diets during early development remain limited. To address this, we conducted a 2-year experiment comparing three broodstock diets: a commercial diet (C diet), a total plant-based diet (V1 diet), and a plant-based diet supplemented with DHA-rich Schizochytrium sp. microalgae oil (V2 diet). After reproduction, progeny were fed either a C diet or a plant-based diet (V). Six groups (C-C, C-V, V1-C, V1-V, V2-C, V2-V) were analyzed for survival, feed intake, and growth, as well as neuropeptide, neurotransmitter, and intestinal hormone expression. Results showed enhanced robustness in fry-fed V diets, particularly from V1 and V2-fed broodstock, with improved survival and feed intake. Fry from DHA-supplemented broodstock (V2-V) compensated for initial growth delays, achieving growth comparable to fry from commercial-fed mothers (C-V) within 30 days. Neurophysiological and gut-brain adaptations revealed complex compensatory mechanisms enabling fish to thrive on sustainable diets. These findings highlight the potential of DHA supplementation in plant-based diets to support sustainable aquaculture and warrant further validation under diverse nutritional and environmental conditions.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00316-7.

The distribution of Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788) spans a pronounced latitudinal-environmental gradient from the subtropical to the subpolar zones. The species is reported to have multiple stocks along coastal China, exhibiting different spawning behaviors and habitat preferences. Such ecological variations might imply potential genetic divergence and local adaptation. We resequenced 117 genomes from six coastal stocks of P. argenteus in China. Although no hierarchical genetic structure was identified, over 50% of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) indicated moderate to strong divergence in at least two stocks. The Mantel test identified 21 100-kb sliding windows with significant isolation by distance and environment, while a majority did not. Given the lack of genome-wide isolation by distance, the 21 windows may be under selection pressure from the latitudinal-environmental variations. Among the 21 windows, certain genes were linked to circadian clock regulation and thermal stress response, suggesting sea surface temperature and sunshine duration as selective forces. A total of 17 genes regulated neuron activity; variations near these genes might subsequently shape the different spawning and migratory behaviors among the stocks. Additionally, 1204 SNPs were mapped to non-coding regions; 14 transcriptional and translational factors were identified in the 21 windows. These findings imply that alterations in gene expression might contribute to the local adaptation of the P. argenteus stocks.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00312-x.

The Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) is the world's preeminent marine biodiversity hotspot, distinguished by its exceptional species richness in tropical shallow waters. This biodiversity has spurred extensive research into its evolutionary and biogeographic origins. Two prominent theoretical frameworks dominate explanations for the IAA's biodiversity: the "centers-of hypotheses" and the "hopping hotspot hypothesis". The "centers-of hypotheses" posits that specific regions serve as key sources of IAA biodiversity, either through the accumulation and overlap of species from external areas or via elevated rates of local speciation. In contrast, the "hopping hotspot hypothesis" asserts that biodiversity hotspots are dynamic, shifting across geological timescales in response to tectonic and environmental changes. This review synthesizes these contrasting perspectives into an integrated framework, the "Dynamic Centers Hypothesis," which proposes that as biodiversity hotspots migrate over time, the IAA's role in generating and sustaining biodiversity has evolved, with varying contributions from different sources dominating distinct historical phases. By synthesizing the evidence for both hypotheses and incorporating recent findings, including fossil and phylogeography data, we propose the "Dynamic Centers Hypothesis" as a comprehensive and unifying explanation for the IAA's biodiversity. The review further explores biogeographic delineation, aligning tropical marine realms with the IAA's evolutionary trajectory, from its Tethyan roots to its modern Indo-West Pacific dominance. Looking forward, advances in DNA barcoding and genomics are uncovering vast cryptic diversity, revolutionizing our comprehension of IAA phylogeographic history. These discoveries underscore the imperative for a multidimensional conservation framework, integrating phylogenetic, and functional diversity, to preserve this biodiversity hotspot amid escalating global change.

Marine heterotrophic prokaryotes initially release extracellular enzymes to cleave large organic molecules and then take up ambient substrates via transporters. Given the direct influence of extracellular enzymes on nutrient availability, understanding their diversity and dynamics is crucial in comprehending microbial interactions and organic matter cycling in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, metagenomics was employed to investigate the functional diversity and dynamics of extracellular enzymes and transporters in coastal waters over a 22-day period. The metagenome-derived gene pool of organic matter-degrading secretory enzymes and transporters was primarily contributed by three major bacterial classes. Bacteroidota were the primary contributors to the gene pool of secretory carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), whereas Gammaproteobacteria contribute more to secretory peptidases and TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs), and Alphaproteobacteria to ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. The distinct substrate targets of the enzymes and transporters combined with the unique dynamics of these taxa across depth layers suggest that organic matter degradation and uptake machinery played a role in ecological niche partitioning. At the community level, the abundance of TBDT genes was more positively correlated with extracellular enzymes than ABC transporters. To further explore taxon-specific differences, we reconstructed 163 bacterial and archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Correlation patterns at the MAG level varied across taxa: Bacteroidota MAGs exhibited significant positive correlations between TBDTs and extracellular enzymes, whereas Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria MAGs showed weak or no significant correlations. These results suggest the diversity of ecological strategies among marine heterotrophic bacteria and highlight a potential coregulation or functional linkage between extracellular enzymes and TBDTs in the metabolism of marine heterotrophic prokaryotes. Our study advances the understanding of the microbial adaptations driving carbon and nutrient cycling.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00314-9.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) plays a critical role in nitrogen loss in estuarine and marine environments. However, the mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of the anammox bacterial community remain unclear. This study analyzed the anammox bacterial diversity, community structure, and interspecific relationships in three estuaries along the Chinese coastline -the Changjiang Estuary (CJE), the Oujiang Estuary (OJE), and the Jiulong River Estuary (JLE) - as well as the South China Sea (SCS) to elucidate their community assembly mechanisms. The results indicated that the anammox bacterial community exhibited the highest ammonium concentration as well as the Shannon's diversity index reflecting both species richness and evenness in the JLE. The lowest Shannon index was observed in the SCS. However, the anammox bacterial species richness was greatest in the CJE. Candidatus Scalindua was the predominant anammox bacteria identified in the coastal sediments, especially in the SCS sediments. Candidatus Brocadia and Candidatus Kuenenia were more abundant in the estuarine sediments, particularly in JLE, than in the SCS. Phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct differentiation among Candidatus Scalindua, Candidatus Brocadia, and Candidatus Kuenenia, with the former exhibiting a greater level of diversity. There was significant spatial heterogeneity in the anammox bacteria across the four regions, characterized by distinct distribution patterns for rare species. Low-abundance (rare) bacteria thrived in their native habitats, whereas abundant taxa displayed greater dispersal capabilities. An analysis of the community assembly mechanism suggested that ecological drift predominantly shaped the overall anammox bacterial community in the coastal sediments. Rare species were more susceptible to dispersal limitations and environmental selection. Co-occurrence network analysis identified Candidatus Scalindua as a keystone genus and highlighted that rare species may play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological stability of the anammox bacterial community in coastal sediments.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00315-8.

The occurrence and development of tumors rely on the nutritional supply from blood vessels, which also serve as the main pathway for tumor metastasis. Inhibiting angiogenesis is one of the main strategies for cancer treatments. Chiral drugs, encouraged and inspired by chiral natural products, make up a major portion of marketed drugs. However, as an important source for synthetic chemistry and drug discovery, the counterpart of chiral natural products, the enantiomers, has received little attention. Here, we constructed a compound library containing 100 racemates ( ±)-1-100 and 4 pairs of enantiomers (33, 48, 59, 68) of 3,4-dioxygenated-4-aryl-quinolin-2(1H)-one alkaloids. Through extensive activity screening, we found that the compounds with 3R, 4R configuration, opposite to the natural products, exhibited potent angiogenesis inhibitory activity in zebrafish, while the 3S, 4S-configured natural derivatives have no effects. More importantly, compound ( +)-48, named as (3R, 4R)-CHNQD-00728, significantly inhibited hepatic tumor growth in doxycin hydrochloride-induced liver-specific enlargement zebrafish. Examining the phenomenon and unlocking dark matter of enantiomeric natural products in innovative drugs discovery can provide a new perspective on organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry, thus enabling a broader exploration.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00307-8.

Microhabitat heterogeneity results in significant variations in the thermal environment on a small spatial scale, leading to different intensities of cold stress during extreme low-temperature events. Investigating variations in body temperature and metabolomic responses of organisms inhabiting different microhabitats emerges as an important task for understanding how organisms respond to more frequent extreme low-temperature events in the face of climate change. In the present study, we measured substrate temperature, air temperature, wind speed, light intensity, and body temperature to evaluate the relative importance of drivers that affect body temperature in different microhabitats, and determined the metabolomic responses of intertidal snails Littorina brevicula and limpets Cellana toreuma from different microhabitats (snail: exposed vs. shaded rock; limpet, rock vs. tidal pool) during extreme low-temperature event in winter. Results showed that microhabitat type, substrate temperature, air temperature, wind speed, and light intensity contribute notably to the body temperatures. During extreme low-temperature events, mollusks collected from different microhabitats exhibited microhabitat-specific metabolomic responses that are associated with cellular stress response, energy metabolism, immune response, nucleotide metabolism, and osmoregulation. These metabolic pathways were highly induced in the more exposed areas (exposed rock for snails and rocky environment for limpets). Notably, in different microhabitats, the metabolites enriched from these pathways showed significant correlations with microclimate environmental variables (i.e., substrate temperature, wind speed, and body temperature). Overall, these findings highlight the importance of microhabitat heterogeneity for intertidal species surviving extreme cold events and are essential for understanding cold adaptation of intertidal species in the context of climate change.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00302-z.

Natural products are effective in the treatment and the prevention of human, animal and plant diseases. Therefore, natural products may also be considered to treat fish diseases. Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (ATR) is a herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, little is known about how its active ingredients exert the beneficial effects. Here, Four effective active ingredients of ATR and their 81 targets were investigated, which affected the anti-inflammatory response. Among them, kaempferol-JUN was identified as a key regulatory module in anti-inflammatory immune responses, and kaempferol interacted with the CiJUN protein and inhibited CiJUN levels. Silencing CiJUN gene in Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney (CIK) cells enhanced anti-inflammatory activity and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila, whereas anti-inflammatory activity and resistance were impaired after CiJUN overexpression. The mortality rate of diseased grass carp was reduced after treatment with kaempferol, as were the inflammatory and oxidant effects. Also, grass carp showed enhanced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects after feeding with kaempferol. The results provide further insights into the use of kaempferol to prevent and treat fish diseases.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00304-x.

Glucocorticoids, crucial regulatory hormones involved in the stress response, significantly influence growth, development, and metabolism through activation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Hypoxia-inducible factor 3 alpha (HIF-3α), the least characterized paralog among three HIF-α proteins, plays a role in adaptation to oxygen level changes and metabolic reprogramming. Despite the potential functional overlaps between GR and HIF-3α pathways in regulating metabolism, their crosstalk remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate a regulatory mechanism governing the crosstalk between these two transcription factor pathways. We found that upon ligand activation, GR binds to the intronic region of the HIF3A gene and upregulates its mRNA transcription. Additionally, HIF-3α and GR engage in protein-protein interactions through the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-3α and all major domains of GR (i.e. the N-terminal, DNA-binding, and ligand-binding domains). Furthermore, we discovered that this interaction results in reciprocal attenuation of the transcriptional activities of both GR and HIF-3α, causing a negative feedback loop upon HIF3A gene expression. The GR-HIF-3α interaction may offer a targetable pivot to modulate these two TF pathways, potentially providing a novel therapeutic avenue for related diseases.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00306-9.