Abstract
Hepcidin is a liver-derived peptide hormone that is related to iron balance and immunity in humans. However, its function in Siniperca chuatsi has not been well elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the expression and function of the S. chuatsi hepcidin (Sc-hep) gene. Sc-hep was specifically expressed in the liver and appeared to be one of the most highly expressed genes in the liver. After spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) infection and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic—polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) stimulation, the expression of Sc-hep in the liver increased by approximately 110, 6500, and 225 times, respectively. After ferrous sulfate (FS) injection, the expression of Sc-hep in the liver increased approximately 520-fold. We found that miR-19c-5p could inhibit Sc-hep expression. Five CpG dinucleotides distributed in the promoter region showed no differential methylation between the liver and the stomach, both presenting high methylation rates. After FS or LPS injection, the expression of three iron balance-related genes (FPN1, TFR1, and FTN) and five immune-related cytokine genes (IL-1β, IL8, TNF-α, TLR22, and SOCS3) significantly changed. These results indicate that Sc-hep participates in the regulation of iron balance and plays an important role in the immune system. Sc-hep increased approximately 52-fold when mandarin fish were domesticated with artificial diets. Sc-hep might be used as a real-time biomarker of mandarin fish liver because its expression markedly varies under different physiological conditions.
Highlights
Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) has economic importance in China; it is a carnivorous freshwater fish that is fed exclusively live fish in aquaculture [1]
The model map showed that hepcidin could initially bind to and degrade Ferroportin 1 (FPN1) and control the iron concentration of the body (Figure A2B). 3
Humans express one hepcidin gene, namely, HAMP, whereas mice express two hepcidin genes, namely, HAMP1 and HAMP2 [29], but the murine HAMP1 and HAMP2 are in tandem and have likely arisen from a duplication in chromosome 7.HAMP1 is the main gene that participates in iron balance and immune response
Summary
Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) has economic importance in China; it is a carnivorous freshwater fish that is fed exclusively live fish in aquaculture [1]. Hepcidin is mainly produced by the hepatocytes, is secreted into the serum, and is involved in iron balance and immunity in humans [7] This peptide was first discovered in 2000 as an antimicrobial protein expressed by the human liver and was named LEAP-1 [8]. For example, hepcidin contributes to the anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects of inflammatory cytokines, such as suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) [7] In fish, such as Danio rerio [21], Ctenopharyngodon idellus [22], Sparus aurata [23], Pseudosciaena crocea [24], Dicentrarchus labrax [25], Trachidermus fasciatus [26], Brachymystax lenok [27], and Salmo trutta [28], the hepcidin gene has been cloned and proven to participate in the immune response. Our results provide valuable information about the function of hepcidin in fish
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