Maternal and embryonic transcriptome in rainbow trout eggs after parental exposure to zearalenone

Although zearalenone (ZEN, a mycotoxin known for endocrine-disrupting action) has been found in different fish feeds, there has been no systematic research to conclusively demonstrate what concentration of ZEN may be considered safe for the welfare and reproductive outcome of economically relevant fish species. The virtual lack of data, especially on the long-term effects of low dose exposure of fish to mycotoxins, leaves a serious gap in our knowledge concerning possible threats to aquaculture. In order to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological consequences of challenging economically important fish with this mycotoxin, the project aims at high-throughput sequencing of the whole maternal and embryonic transcriptome of rainbow trout eggs after life-cycle parental exposure to ZEN. This knowledge could benefit not only aquaculture, but also provide further information of fundamental biological importance, such as clues to embryo development in fish.尽管玉米赤霉烯酮（zearalenone，ZEN，一种具有内分泌干扰活性的真菌毒素）已在多种鱼类饲料中被检出，但目前尚无系统性研究能够确凿证实，对于具有经济价值的鱼类物种而言，何种浓度的ZEN可被视为安全阈值，以保障其健康状态与繁殖成效。几乎完全缺失相关数据，尤其是关于鱼类低剂量暴露于真菌毒素后的长期影响的数据，这为我们认识真菌毒素对水产养殖业可能构成的威胁带来了显著的认知空白。为了阐明该真菌毒素对具有经济价值的鱼类造成生理影响背后的分子机制，本项目旨在对经全生命周期亲代ZEN暴露后的虹鳟（rainbow trout）鱼卵的母体与胚胎全转录组进行高通量测序。该研究成果不仅可助力水产养殖业发展，还能为鱼类胚胎发育等基础生物学相关研究提供重要的参考依据与线索。