title: Insights into food preference in hybrid F1 of Siniperca chuatsi (♀) × Siniperca scherzeri (♂) mandarin fish through transcriptome analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As economically relevant traits, feeding behavior and food preference domestication determine production cost and profitability. Although there are intensive research efforts on feeding behavior and food intake, little is known about food preference. Mandarin fish accept only live prey fish and refuse dead prey fish or artificial diets. Very little is currently known about the genes regulating this unique food preference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using transcriptome sequencing and digital gene expression profiling, we identified 1,986 and 4,526 differentially expressed genes in feeders and nonfeeders of dead prey fish, respectively. Up-regulation of Crbp, Rgr and Rdh8, and down-regulation of Gc expression, consistent with greater visual ability in feeders, could promote positive phototaxis. Altered expressions of period, casein kinase and Rev-erbα might reset circadian phase. Down-regulation of orexigenic and up-regulation of anorexigenic genes in feeders were associated with lower appetite. The mRNA levels of Creb, c-fos, C/EBP, zif268, Bdnf and Syt were dramatically decreased in feeders, which might result in significant deficiency in memory retention of its natural food preference (live prey fish). There were roughly 100 times more potential SNPs in feeders than in nonfeeders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, differential expression in the genes identified shed new light on why mandarin fish only feed on live prey fish, with pathways regulating retinal photosensitivity, circadian rhythm, appetite control, learning and memory involved. We also found dramatic difference in SNP abundance in feeders vs nonfeeders. These differences together might account for the different food preferences. Elucidating the genes regulating the unique food preference (live prey fish) in mandarin fish could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms controlling food preference in animals, including mammals.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Freshwater Aquaculture, Wuhan 430070, PR China. xufang_liang@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xu-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chun-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Ya-Xiong
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002678:Chimera / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015723:Gene Library; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010473:Perciformes / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D059467:Transcriptome; D015854:Up-Regulation