Applied aspects of gene function for the conservation of fishes

Abstract

Fishes respond to different abiotic and biotic stressors through changes in gene expression as a part of an integrated organismal response. Gene expression can be described as the way that the gene displays as a phenotype, which includes aspects of the transcription, translation, and the protein function of genes. The gene expression response to environmental stressors in fishes is a complex process that occurs relatively rapidly (i.e., within minutes to hours after acute exposure events); however, the response can be influenced by numerous factors that operate across different temporal scales, from evolutionary, to transgenerational, to within the lifespan and the recent acclimation history of the individual. All these factors need to be considered when interpreting gene expression patterns in wild fishes. There are also distinct challenges for quantifying gene expression in fishes that include the large number of species, polyploidy in some species, and incomplete functional annotation of the genes. In this chapter, we describe what regulates gene expression, how it is quantified, and what emerging gene editing tools may be potentially useful in the conservation of wild fishes. As technologies continue to improve, assessing the gene-level response to environmental stressors in wild fishes and fishes of conservation concern will continue to be a powerful tool in conservation physiology.