2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Thyroid hormones and Pigmentation pattern evolution in clownfish
| Project/Area Number |
22H02678
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Institution | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University |
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Principal Investigator |
LAUDET Vincent 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 海洋生態進化発生生物学ユニット, 教授 (20898423)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
木下 政人 京都大学, 農学研究科, 准教授 (60263125)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2026-03-31
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| Keywords | Pigmentation / Clownfish / Thyroid Hormone / Ontogenesis |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
How differences in pigmentation arose have never been fully explained. In anemonefishes there is a difference in white bar formation between Amphiprion ocellaris and A. percula. As white bars are linked to thyroid hormones (TH) we study if this ontogeny difference is linked to differences in TH signaling. We collected samples of the 2 species from hatching until 100 days. We have added the closely related A. biaculeatus to determine the ancestral status of bar formation. The samples are ready and will soon be sent for Illumina sequencing. We treated A. ocellaris with thyroid hormone and to MPI (to block TH production) and we submitted the samples to transcriptomic analysis. We have established the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in A. ocellaris and have targeted a first gene (dio2).
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
4: Progress in research has been delayed.
Reason
OIST anemonefish husbandry construction and start have been delayed due to Covid and minor technical issues. This is now mostly solved. We need the husbandry that is in the main campus as OIST marine station can only host native species and A. percula is coming from Australia. All the research about this species have been delayed as we had to establish collaboration with foreign labs to get samples of this species.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
1.We plan to check if the timing of the metamorphosis is similar in the two species using a comparative transcriptomic experiment. We have collected the samples of the 3 species (A. percula, A. ocellaris and A. biaculeatus) at various stages from hatching until the formation of second white bar in A. percula (100dph). The samples are ready and will soon be sent for Illumina sequencing.
2.We are analyzing the transcriptomic data of A. ocellaris treated with thyroid hormone and with MPI to block TH production to reveal the transcriptional cascade controlled by TH in this species.
3.With CRISPR/Cas9 technology Pr. Kinoshita lab have targeted a first gene in A. ocellaris (deiodinase 2). The mutant fish are growing. We will check the germline transmission of the mutation and analyze the phenotype.
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