Genomic Amplification and Ovary-Specific Expression of Zona Pellucida Genes in Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish
- 1Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505, USA
- 2Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Program, School of Environmental Studies, Box 5152, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505, USA
- 3School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Abstract
Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is the most important aquaculture species in the United States, with the interspecific hybrid made from mating female channel catfish with male blue catfish (I. furcatus) being the predominant genotype for the catfish industry. While studying the mechanisms of their reproductive isolation, we determined zona pellucida (ZP) genes in both species. While ZP genes are well known for their ovary-specific expression in higher vertebrates such as mammals, the site of their expression in fish varies depending on species. In this study, we annotated the ZP genes in channel catfish and blue catfish and conducted phylogenetic analysis. We found that ZP genes are highly amplified in the catfish genomes, with ZP3- and ZP4-like genes being the most abundant in the genomes, derived from tandem and segmental duplications. A total of 39 and 49 ZP genes (including 4 and 5 pseudogenes) in the blue catfish genome and channel catfish genome were identified, respectively. Expression analysis using RNA-Seq revealed ovary-specific expression in females, with no expression in the gonadal tissues of males, nor in any other tissues of either males or females. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the ZP genes were not expressed until 90 days post fertilization, consistent with the timing of oogenesis of the developing gonad. Single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-Seq) confirmed expression of ZP genes only in oocytes. Future studies are warranted to determine the molecular mechanisms of sex-, tissue-, and time-specific expression of ZP genes, especially in relation to various taxa within teleost fish.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026genomic,
title = {{Genomic Amplification and Ovary-Specific Expression of Zona Pellucida Genes in Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish}},
author = {Tong Chen and Dongya Gao and Baofeng Su and Rex Dunham and Zhanjiang Liu},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27209100},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9100},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genomic Amplification and Ovary-Specific Expression of Zona Pellucida Genes in Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish
AU - Tong Chen
AU - Dongya Gao
AU - Baofeng Su
AU - Rex Dunham
AU - Zhanjiang Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27209100
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9100
AB - Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is the most important aquaculture species in the United States, with the interspecific hybrid made from mating female channel catfish with male blue catfish (I. furcatus) being the predominant genotype for the catfish industry. While studying the mechanisms of their reproductive isolation, we determined zona pellucida (ZP) genes in both species. While ZP genes are well known for their ovary-specific expression in higher vertebrates such as mammals, the site of their expression in fish varies depending on species. In this study, we annotated the ZP genes in channel catfish and blue catfish and conducted phylogenetic analysis. We found that ZP genes are highly amplified in the catfish genomes, with ZP3- and ZP4-like genes being the most abundant in the genomes, derived from tandem and segmental duplications. A total of 39 and 49 ZP genes (including 4 and 5 pseudogenes) in the blue catfish genome and channel catfish genome were identified, respectively. Expression analysis using RNA-Seq revealed ovary-specific expression in females, with no expression in the gonadal tissues of males, nor in any other tissues of either males or females. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the ZP genes were not expressed until 90 days post fertilization, consistent with the timing of oogenesis of the developing gonad. Single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-Seq) confirmed expression of ZP genes only in oocytes. Future studies are warranted to determine the molecular mechanisms of sex-, tissue-, and time-specific expression of ZP genes, especially in relation to various taxa within teleost fish.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -