Comparative analysis of whole transcriptome of brain tissue from fast and slow growing families of Takifugu rubripes

Tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) is one of the most economically valuable aquaculture species in Asia. Family selection is a common method employed in fish aquaculture, wherein growth traits are the most important economic traits. However, after several generations of selection, inbreeding decline and genetic progress readily occur. Small RNAs (sRNAs) are important regulatory factors involved in various physiological processes of animals like cellular proliferation, differentiation, metastasis, and apoptosis. In this study, the transcriptomes of slow- and fast-growing families of Takifugu rubripes were compared and analyzed to assess the potential for sRNA expression as the genetic basis for differences in growth rates. The results provide new insights to guide improved Takifugu rubripes aquaculture production and germplasm resources.