The Genypterus genus contains native species of economic relevance with high potential for aquaculture diversification, including the black cusk-eel (Genypterus maculatus), which is distributed on the south Pacific coast of Chile and Peru. Environmental factors such as heat waves can generate an increase in sea temperature, which could induce stress on fish. In this study, we determine the effect of increased temperature on stress response and oxidative status of black cusk-eel juveniles and the effect on immune genes i n gills and atrophy-related genes on skeletal muscle.
Control and stress groups were subjected to different temperatures (13°C and 18,5°C), sampling plasma for cortisol determination, gills and muscle for DNA, protein, and lipids oxidative damage evaluation, and for relative gene expression evaluation through RT-qPCR. The increase in temperature induces a stress status in the fish (1A), with oxidative damage in both tissues (1B). Additionally, an up-regulation of heat shock protein was observed in both tissues (1C and D), with oxidative stress-related genes up-regulated (1E, F, and G) . In muscle, an up-regulation of atrophy-related genes was observed (1H), while in gills, up-regulation of some immune g enes was observed. This study shows how temperature related to heat waves could induce negative effects on marine fish.
Funding: ANID FONDECYT Inicio 11230153 ; ANID FONDECYT Postdoctorado 3180283; Programa de Inserción Académica PIA 82510015.