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Examining Probiotic Therapy on Triploid Chinook Salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ): A Behavioural Genomics Approach
Author(s) -
Frank Chelsea,
St. Louis Brendyn,
Warriner Theresea,
Heath Daniel,
Semeniuk Christina
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.02198
Subject(s) - oncorhynchus , biology , aquaculture , probiotic , hatchery , chinook wind , fish physiology , danio , zoology , fishery , zebrafish , genetics , fish <actinopterygii> , gene , bacteria
The aquaculture industry accounts for nearly half of the world's fish for consumption. To reduce energy expenditures towards reproductive efforts, hatcheries can induce the process of triploidization in their stock (resulting in altered ploidy from 2N to 3N). This process induces an early life stressor at the egg stage, yet can have several benefits (e.g., greater growth potential, producing sterile fish, and lowered aggression), as well as drawbacks (e.g., compromised immune function, increased stress reactions with lowered behavioural/physiological responsiveness, and greater environmental sensitivities). In this study, implementation of probiotic therapy is examined to determine its viability for overcoming drawbacks of triploidization. By adding probiotics into feed, we expect behavioural changes as well as alterations to the gut‐brain axis, which result in further changes in brain function and neural gene expression. Behaviours and neural transcriptomic profiles of hatchery‐reared Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) eight months post‐fertilization are examined following a series of behavioural trials, designed to assess the fish's foraging motivation, competitiveness, sensitivity to stress, and behavioural flexibility. Fish from four treatment groups (2N‐regular feed, 2N‐probiotic feed, 3N‐regular feed, and 3N‐probiotic feed; n=90 per treatment) underwent a behavioural assay consisting of an open‐field, novel‐object, predator‐stimulus and mirror tests. Transcriptional profiles of neural tissues will be examined for genes relating to neural functions (i.e., neurogenesis/synaptic plasticity) to mechanistically examine behavioural flexibility, biomarkers for individual level stress response and development (i.e., growth and appetite). Through a behavioural genomics approach, we will be examining transcriptional expression integrated with behavioural profiles, allowing for determining the role of individual transcriptional variation across different behavioural groups. We will be able to determine how ploidy (specifically triploidization) coupled with probiotic therapies affect the gut‐brain axis via behavioural and transcriptional profiles in an economically important fish species. Ultimately, we will determine whether probiotic therapies are effective for future usage in the aquacultural industry.