Browsing by Author "Li, Yi-Feng"
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- Complete genome of a marine bacterium Vibrio chagasii ECSMB14107 with the ability to infect musselsPublication . Liang, Xiao; Wang, Jin-Song; Liu, Yu-Zhu; Peng, Li-Hua; Li, Yi-Feng; Batista, Frederico; Power, Deborah; Gui, Lang; Yang, Jin-LongVibrio strains are pervasive in the aquatic environment and may form pathogenic and symbiotic relationships with the host. Vibrio chagasii ECSMB14107 was isolated from natural biofilms and is used as a model to elucidate the role of Vibrio in hard-shelled mussel (Mytilus coruscus) settlement, health and disease. The genome of the Vibrio strain ECSMB14107, comprised of two circular chromosomes that together encompass 5,549,357 bp with a mean GC content of 44.39% was determined. Knowledge about the genome of V. chagasii ECSMB14107 will provide insight into its contribution to mussel development and health.
- Editorial: Endocrine regulation and physiological adaptation of stress response in aquatic organismsPublication . Li, Yiming; Li, Yi-Feng; Campinho, Marco António; Fuentes, JuanOrganismal growth is a complex, genetically regulated process that integrates various physiological signaling pathways, where endocrine regulation is pivotal. In fully developed animals, endocrine regulation plays a central role in maintaining homeostasis and adapting to changing environmental and biological conditions. In aquatic organisms, environmental stressors such as environmental temperature, hypoxia, salinity changes, and exposure to pollutants can disrupt homeostasis, leading to physiological, molecular, and behavioral responses. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of endocrine regulation and physiological adaptation in response to environmental stresses is crucial, significantly impacting aquatic ecosystems. The main objective of this Research Topic was to explore and discuss these mechanisms, providing valuable insights into aquatic animal biology and adaptation.
- Elevated seawater temperatures decrease microbial diversity in the gut of mytilus coruscusPublication . Li, Yi-Feng; Yang, Na; Liang, Xiao; Yoshida, Asami; Osatomi, Kiyoshi; Power, Deborah; Batista, Frederico; Yang, Jin-LongThe gut microbial community is critical for the host immune system, and in recent years, it has been extensively studied in vertebrates using 'omic' technologies. In contrast, knowledge about how the interactions between water temperature and diet affect the gut microbiota of marine invertebrates that do not thermoregulate is much less studied. In the present study, the effect of elevated seawater temperature and diet (Isochrysis zhanjiangensis and Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis) on the gut microbial community of the commercial mussel, Mytilus coruscus, was investigated. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize the microbial community in M. coruscus gut. The mortality of M. coruscus exposed to a high water temperature (31 degrees C) increased after 3 days and the diversity of the bacterial community in the gut of live M. coruscus was significantly reduced. For example, the abundance of Bacteroides (Bacteroidetes) and norank_Marinilabiaceae (Bacteroidetes) increased in the gut of M. coruscus fed I. zhanjiangensis. In M. coruscus fed P. helgolandica, the abundance of Arcobacter (Proteobacteria) and norank_Marinilabiaceae increased and the abundance of unclassified_Flavobacteriaceae (Bacteroidetes) decreased. The results obtained in the present study suggest that high temperatures favored the proliferation of opportunistic bacteria, including Bacteroides and Arcobacter, which may increase host susceptibility to disease. Microbial community composition of the gut in live M. coruscus was not impacted by the microalgal diet but it was modified in the group of mussels that died. The present study provides insight into the potential effects on the gut microbiome and mussel-bacteria interactions of rising seawater temperatures.
- Ioxynil and diethylstilbestrol disrupt vascular and heart development in zebrafishPublication . Li, Yi-Feng; Canario, Adelino; Power, Deborah; Campinho, Marco AntónioEndocrine disruption is one of the consequences of industrialization and chemicals released into the environment have a profound impact on organisms. Waterborne micromolar concentrations of ioxynil (IOX) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) in fish affect the development of the heart, vasculature and thyroid gland.
- Ioxynil and diethylstilbestrol impair cardiac performance and shell growth in the mussel Mytilus coruscusPublication . Li, Yi-Feng; Lin, Yue-Tong; Wang, Yu-Qing; Ni, Ji-Yue; Power, DeborahThe herbicide ioxynil (IOX) and the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) are environmentally relevant contaminants that act as endocrine disruptors (EDCs) and have recently been shown to be cardiovascular disruptors in vertebrates. Mussels, Mytilus coruscus, were exposed to low doses of IOX (0.37, 0.037 and 0.0037 mg/ L) and DES (0.27, 0.027 and 0.0027 mg/L) via the water and the effect monitored by generating whole animal transcriptomes and measuring cardiac performance and shell growth. One day after IOX (0.37 and 0.037 mg/L) and DES (0.27 and 0.027 mg/L) exposure heart rate frequency was decreased in both groups and 0.27 mg/L DES significantly reduced heart rate frequency with increasing time of exposure (P < 0.05) and no acclimatization occurred. The functional effects were coupled to significant differential expression of genes of the serotonergic synapse pathway and cardiac-related genes at 0.027 mg/L DES, which suggests that impaired heart function may be due to interference with neuroendocrine regulation and direct cardiac effect genes. Multiple genes related to detoxifying xenobiotic substances were up regulated and genes related to immune function were down regulated in the DES group (vs. control), indicating that detoxification processes were enhanced, and the immune response was depressed. In contrast, IOX had a minor disrupting effect at a molecular level. Of note was a significant suppression (P < 0.05) by DES of shell growth in juveniles and lower doses (< 0.0027 mg/L) had a more severe effect. The shell growth depression in 0.0027 mg/L DES-treated juveniles was not accompanied by abundant differential gene expression, suggesting that the effect of 0.0027 mg/L DES on shell growth may be direct. The results obtained in the present study reveal for the first time that IOX and DES may act as neuroendocrine disrupters with a broad spectrum of effects on cardiac performance and shell growth, and that DES exposure had a much more pronounced effect than IOX in a marine bivalve.
- Ioxynil and diethylstilbestrol increase the risks of cardiovascular and thyroid dysfunction in zebrafishPublication . Li, Yi-Feng; Rodrigues, Joana; Campinho, Marco AntónioEndocrine disruption results from exposure to chemicals that alter the function of the endocrine system in animals. Chronic 60 days of exposure to a low dose (0.1 mu M) of ioxynil (IOX) or diethylstilbestrol (DES) via food was used to determine the effects of these chemicals on the physiology of the heart and thyroid follicles in juvenile zebrafish. Immunofluorescence analysis and subsequent 3D morphometric analysis of the zebrafish heart revealed that chronic exposure to IOX induced ventricle deformation and significant volume increase (p < 0.001). DES exposure caused a change in ventricle morphology, but volume was unaffected. Alongside, it was found that DES exposure upregulated endothelial related genes (angptl1b, mhc1lia, mybpc2a, ptgir, notch1b and vwf) involved in vascular homeostasis. Both IOX and DES exposure caused a change in thyroid follicle morphology. Notably, in IOX exposed juveniles, thyroid fol-licle hypertrophy was observed; and in DES-exposed fish, an enlarged thyroid field was present. In summary, chronic exposure of juvenile zebrafish to IOX and DES affected the heart and the thyroid. Given that both chemicals are able to change the morphology of the thyroid it indicates that they behave as endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs). Heart function dynamically changes thyroid morphology, and function and hence it is likely that the observed cardiac effects of IOX and DES are the source of altered thyroid status in these fish.
- The mussel larvae microbiome changes in response to a temperature risePublication . Zhu, You-Ting; Liang, Xiao; Liu, Tian-Tian; Power, Deborah Mary; Li, Yi-Feng; Yang, Jin-LongOcean warming caused by global climate change influences the function, diversity, and community dynamics of commensal microorganisms, including the hemolymph and the gut microbiota in mussels. However, the microbiota in hard-shelled mussel (Mytilus coruscus) larvae and the effect of temperature on the microbial community structure have yet to be studied. Herein, we investigated the core microbiota of M. coruscus larvae and the impact of acute (4 h) and gradual (4 days) exposure to a rise in seawater temperature from 21 to 25 degrees C. Eleven core genera were identified in M. coruscus larvae by 16S rDNA gene sequencing: Alteromonas, Brevundimonas, Delftia, Microbacterium, Neptuniibacter, Neptunomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Rhodococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Tenacibaculum, and Thalassotalea. The microbiota of larvae in the short exposure treatment was similar to the control. However, the abundance of Delftia, Neptunomonas, Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Rhodococcus, and Stenotrophomonas decreased significantly in the long-exposure larvae. In contrast, at the genus level, the abundance of Tenacibaculum increased significantly. Diversity and multivariate analyses confirmed that the microbiota patterns were linked to seawater warming over the long term. Microbiota diversity did not change significantly, regardless of whether the seawater temperature increased quickly or slowly; however, we observed a significant increase in the microbiota species abundance at higher temperatures. Among the altered bacterial genera, Delftia, Neptunomonas, and Rhodococcus function in the degradation of organic compounds; Pseudoalteromonas is closely associated with mussel attachment and metamorphosis, and Tenacibaculum is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause marine mollusk death. The results suggest that marine heat waves caused by climate change may reduce the ability of symbiotic bacteria to degrade environmental toxins, will affect mussel larvae metamorphosis, and increase the abundance of opportunistic pathogens, thereby increasing the risk of disease and death of mussel larvae.
- Stage-specific transcriptomes of the Mussel Mytilus coruscus reveals the developmental Program for the Planktonic to Benthic TransitionPublication . Wang, Yu-Qing; Liu, Qi; Zhou, Yan; Chen, Lizhi; Yang, Yue-Ming; Shi, Xue; Power, Deborah; Li, Yi-FengMany marine invertebrate larvae undergo complex morphological and physiological changes during the planktonic—benthic transition (a.k.a. metamorphosis). In this study, transcriptome analysis of different developmental stages was used to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning larval settlement and metamorphosis of the mussel, Mytilus coruscus. Analysis of highly upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the pediveliger stage revealed enrichment of immune-related genes. The results may indicate that larvae co-opt molecules of the immune system to sense and respond to external chemical cues and neuroendocrine signaling pathways forecast and trigger the response. The upregulation of adhesive protein genes linked to byssal thread secretion indicates the anchoring capacity required for larval settlement arises prior to metamorphosis. The results of gene expression support a role for the immune and neuroendocrine systems in mussel metamorphosis and provide the basis for future studies to disentangle gene networks and the biology of this important lifecycle transformation.
- Thyroid hormone receptor: a new player in epinephrine-induced larval metamorphosis of the hard-shelled musselPublication . Li, Yi-Feng; Cheng, Yu-Lan; Chen, Ke; Cheng, Zhi-Yang; Zhu, Xin; Cardoso, João; Liang, Xiao; Zhu, You-Ting; Power, Deborah; Yang, Jin-LongMany marine invertebrate larvae undergo a dramatic morphological and physiological transition from a planktonic larva to a benthic juvenile. The mechanisms of this metamorphosis in bivalves are mainly unknown. The recent identification in bivalves of a thyroid hormone receptor (TR) gene raises the possibility that as occurs in vertebrate metamorphosis, TRs regulate this developmental process. An evolutionary study of TR receptors revealed they are ubiquitous in the molluscs. Knock-down of the TR gene in pediveliger larvae of the hard-shelled mussel, Mytilus coruscus (Mc), using electroporation of siRNA significantly (p < 0.01) reduced TR gene expression. TR gene knock-down decreased pediveliger larval metamorphosis by 54% and was associated with a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in viability compared to control larvae. The TR in the hard-shelled mussel appears to be an essential regulatory factor for the successful epinephrine-induced metamorphosis of the pediveliger larvae to post-larvae. It is hypothesised that the knock-down of TR by siRNA transfection affects the "competence" of pediveliger larvae for the metamorphic transition by reducing their ability to respond to the inducer. The involvement of TR in the epinephrine-induced metamorphosis of a mollusc, the hard-shelled mussel, suggests the role of TR in this process probably emerged early during evolution.
- Two toll-like receptors identified in the mantle of Mytilus coruscus are abundant in haemocytesPublication . Li, Yi-Feng; Liu, Yu-Zhu; Chen, Yan-Wen; Chen, Ke; Batista, Frederico; Cardoso, João CR; Chen, Yu-Ru; Peng, Li-Hua; Zhang, Ya; Zhu, You-Ting; Liang, Xiao; Power, Deborah; Yang, Jin-LongToll-like receptors (TLRs) are a large family of pattern recognition receptors (PREs) that play a critical role in innate immunity. TLRs are activated when they recognize microbial associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) of bacteria, viruses, or fungus. In the present study, two TLRs were isolated from the mantle of the hard-shelled mussel (Mytilus coruscus) and designated McTLR2 and McTLR3 based on their sequence similarity and phylogenetic clustering with Crassostrea gigas, CgiTLR2 and CgiTLR3, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that McTLR2 and McTLR3 were constitutively expressed in many tissues but at low abundance.