Genome Manipulation and Sex Control in the Siberian Sturgeon: An Updated Synthesis with Regard to Objectives, Constraints and Findings

Abstract

The genome manipulations, such as gynogenesis or androgenesis, are widely applied in fish for artificial modification of chromosome set and allow the production of monosex stocks. Moreover, such manipulations enable rapid production of inbred populations that can be applied in crossbreeding programs. The application of the gynogenesis in sturgeons seems to be very important in creation of all-female stocks for caviar production. The Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii is the species most frequently cultured in European fish farms for black caviar. The production and all-female stocks of this species are highly desirable and commercially reasonable. Unfortunately, in Siberian sturgeon, the available sex identification methods are not effective for fish younger than age 3 years because these fish have no morphological sex specific features and no sex chromosomes were identified in this species. Therefore the direct production of all-female stock is very important. Although genome manipulations were successfully applied in the production of monosex populations of some fish species, especially with the XY sex-determination system, in Siberian sturgeon, such manipulations were characterized by low efficiency due to the low hatching rate. The present review provides a summary of genome manipulations in the Siberian sturgeon.