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Identification and characterization of the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) in hypermelanistic Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis)

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Abstract

The Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) is a flatfish with distinctive asymmetry in its body coloration. The melanism (hyperpigmentation) in both the blind side and ocular side of C. semilaevis gives it an extremely low commercial value. However, the fundamental molecular mechanism of this melanism remains unclear. Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), a GTP-binding protein-coupled receptor, is considered to play a vital role in the physiology of the vertebrate pigment system. In order to confirm the contribution of MC1R to the body coloration of C. semilaevis, the expression levels of Mc1r mRNA were measured in seven tissue types at different developmental stages of normal and melanistic C. semilaevis. The expression levels of Mc1r mRNA in the heart, brain, liver, kidney, ocular-side skin, and blind-side skin of melanistic C. semilaevis were significantly higher than that of normal C. semilaevis in all developmental stages. Moreover, the knocking down of Mc1r in the C. semilaevis liver cell line (HTLC) increased the expression of the downstream genes microphthalmia transcription factor (Mitf) and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (Tyrp1) in the pigmentation pathway. Thus, the present data suggest that MC1R might play important roles in Tyrp1- and Mitf-mediated pigment synthesis in C. semilaevis.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Tianjin Natural Science Foundation (17JCQNJC15000), transformation project of Tianjin Agricultural Achievements (201604090), special funding for Modern Agricultural Industrial Technology System (CARS-47-Z01), Modern Industrial Technology System in Tianjin (ITTFRS2017011), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872546, 31472262), the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund through the project “China-ASEAN Center for Joint Research and Promotion of Marine Aquaculture Technology”.

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Author notes

  1. Kunming Li, Na Zhao and Bo Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Kunming Li, Bo Zhang & Baolong Bao

  2. Tianjin Haolingsaiao Biotechnology Co, Ltd, Tianjin, China

    Na Zhao

  3. Tianjin Fisheries Research Institute, Tianjin, China

    Bo Zhang, Lei Jia, Kefeng Liu, Qunshan Wang & Xiaoxu He

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  1. Kunming Li
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  2. Na Zhao
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  5. Kefeng Liu
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Correspondence to Bo Zhang or Baolong Bao.

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All experiments were approved by the Animal Care Committee of Shanghai Ocean University and Tianjin Bohai Sea Fisheries Research Institute.

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Highlights

•Mc1r was characterized from the Cynoglossus semilaevis

•The expression of Mc1r in normal and melanistic C.semilaevis tissues is evaluated

•MC1R is crucial forTyrp1- and Mitf-mediated pigment synthesis in C.semilaevis, knocking down of Mc1r increases expression of the downstream genes Mitf and Tyrp1

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Li, K., Zhao, N., Zhang, B. et al. Identification and characterization of the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) in hypermelanistic Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Fish Physiol Biochem 46, 881–890 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-019-00758-8

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