Multi-Omics Analysis of Gene and Protein Candidates Possibly Related to Tetrodotoxin Accumulation in the Skin of <i>Takifugu flavidus</i>
Huimin Feng,
Kun Qiao,
Chunchun Wang,
Bei Chen,
Min Xu,
Hua Hao,
Zhen Huang,
Zhiyu Liu,
Qin Wang
Affiliations
Huimin Feng
School of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Kun Qiao
Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-Value Utili-zation of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, Xiamen 361013, China
Chunchun Wang
Fujian Key Laboratory of Special Marine Bio-Resources Sustainable Utilization, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Bei Chen
Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-Value Utili-zation of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, Xiamen 361013, China
Min Xu
Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-Value Utili-zation of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, Xiamen 361013, China
Hua Hao
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Oceanography and Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Zhen Huang
Fujian Key Laboratory of Special Marine Bio-Resources Sustainable Utilization, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Zhiyu Liu
Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-Value Utili-zation of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, Xiamen 361013, China
Qin Wang
School of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Pufferfish is increasingly regarded by many as a delicacy. However, the tetrodotoxin (TTX) that accumulates in its body can be lethal upon consumption by humans. TTX is known to mainly accumulate in pufferfish skin, but the accumulation mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible mechanism of TTX accumulation in the skin of the pufferfish Takifugu flavidus following treatment with TTX. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, we detected 37.3% of toxin accumulated in the skin at the end of the rearing period (168 h). Transcriptome and proteome analyses revealed the mechanism and pathways of TTX accumulation in the skin of T. flavidus in detail. Gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses strongly suggest that cardiac muscle contraction and adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocyte pathways play an important role in TTX accumulation. Moreover, some upregulated and downregulated genes, which were determined via RNA-Seq, were verified with qPCR analysis. This study is the first to use multi-omics profiling data to identify novel regulatory network mechanisms of TTX accumulation in the skin of pufferfish.
