Innate immunity in teleost fish relies heavily on granulocytes for host defense. However, how these cells functionally adapt to distinct tissue microenvironments remains poorly understood. To address this, we constructed a multi-tissue immune atlas for Cynoglossus semilaevis by integrating single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from blood, liver, spleen, and head kidney. We identified five transcriptionally distinct granulocyte subsets (Gr1-Gr5), each with divergent roles in inflammation, immunoregulation, and complement activity; moreover, these subsets exhibited tissue-specific distributions. Pseudotime analysis revealed a bifurcated developmental trajectory from a shared progenitor pool residing in the head kidney and spleen, characterized by the dynamic expression of the cxcr2/cxcr4 axis and branch-specific transcription factors. While sharing core metabolic pathways, granulocyte subsets displayed tissue-specific adaptations and an inferred communication strategy involving a conserved cd44b-mediated module. Our findings systematically characterize the patterns of granulocyte adaptation in a teleost model, providing insights into fish immunology and aquaculture disease control.

Innate immunity represents a foundational defense strategy across bilaterians, with phagocytosis and coagulation serving as its central effector mechanisms. However, it remains uncertain whether these mechanisms evolved from conservative ancestral regulatory modules or emerged through lineage-specific adaptations. This ambiguity currently impedes a deeper understanding of immune system evolution. We constructed a cross-phylum single-cell atlas of circulating immune cells from nine bilaterian species. Our comparative analysis revealed a pattern of evolutionary tinkering, wherein core functional modules followed largely independent evolutionary trajectories. The specific phagocytic-like cells (PLCs) identified in invertebrates share a core gene regulatory network orchestrated by the MiT/TFE transcription factor family with vertebrate myeloid cells, indicating deep homology. Notably, we identify and characterize coagulation effector cells in invertebrates for the first time. These clot-associated hemocytes demonstrate transcriptome-level convergence in the absence of a conserved regulatory framework, achieving similar functional states through lineage-specific genetic pathways. Our findings highlight the distinct evolutionary trajectories of innate immune cells, distinguishing the ancient, hardwired regulatory program of phagocytosis from the convergent, adaptive nature of coagulation. This study offers a unified single-cell perspective on the assembly and diversification of the bilaterian immune system.

SET (SuVar3-9, Enhancer of Zeste, Trithorax) domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1, setdb1, is the predominant histone lysine methyltransferase catalyzing H3K9me3. Prior studies have illustrated that setdb1 and H3K9me3 critically regulate sex differentiation and gametogenesis. However, the molecular details by which setdb1 is involved in these processes in fish have been poorly reported. Here, we cloned and characterized the setdb1 ORF (open reading frame) sequence from Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). The setdb1 ORF sequence was 3,669 bp, encoding a 1,222-amino-acid protein. Phylogenetic analysis showed that setdb1 was structurally conserved. qRT-PCR revealed that setdb1 had a high expression level in the testes at 12 mpf (months post fertilization). Single-cell RNA-seq data at 24 mpf indicated that setdb1 was generally expressed in spermatogenic cells at each stage except for sperm and was centrally expressed in oogonia. H3K9me3 modification was observed in gonads with the immunofluorescence technique. Furthermore, the overexpression experiment suggested that sox5 was a candidate target of setdb1. sox5 was abundantly expressed in male and pseudomale gonads at 24 mpf. Single-cell RNA-seq data showed that sox5 was mainly expressed in spermatogonia and its expression gradually declined with differentiation. Taken together, our findings imply that setdb1 regulates sox5 transcription in gonads, which provides molecular clues into histone modification-mediated orchestration of sex differentiation and gametogenesis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common chronic liver disease in the world. Immunity is the major contributing factor in NAFLD; however, the interaction of immune cells and hepatocytes in disease progression has not been fully elucidated. As a popular species for studying NAFLD, zebrafish, whose liver is a complex immune system mediated by immune cells and non -immune cells in maintaining immune tolerance and homeostasis. Understanding the cellular composition and immune environment of zebrafish liver is of great significance for its application in NAFLD. Here, we established a liver atlas that consists of 10 cell types using single -cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). By examining the heterogeneity of hepatocytes and analyzing the expression of NAFLD-associated genes in the specific cluster, we provide a potential target cell model to study NAFLD. Additionally, our analysis identified two subtypes of distinct resident macrophages with inflammatory and non -inflammatory functions and characterized the successive stepwise development of T cell subclusters in the liver. Importantly, we uncovered the possible regulation of macrophages and T cells on target cells of fatty liver by analyzing the cellular interaction between hepatocytes and immune cells. Our data provide valuable information for an in-depth study of immune cells targeting hepatocytes to regulate the immune balance in NAFLD.

Lymphocyte receptors independently evolved in both jawed and jawless vertebrates with similar adaptive immune responses. However, the diversity of functional subtypes and molecular architecture in jawless vertebrate lymphocytes, comparable to jawed species, is not well defined. Here, we profile the gills, intestines, and blood of the lamprey, Lampetra morii, with single-cell RNA sequencing, using a full-length transcriptome as a reference. Our findings reveal higher tissue-specific heterogeneity among T-like cells in contrast to B-like cells. Notably, we identify a unique T-like cell subtype expressing a homolog of the nonlymphoid hematopoietic growth factor receptor, MPL-like (MPL-L). These MPL-L+ T-like cells exhibit features distinct from T cells of jawed vertebrates, particularly in their elevated expression of hematopoietic genes. We further discovered that MPL-L+ VLRA+ T-like cells are widely present in the typhlosole, gill, liver, kidney, and skin of lamprey and they proliferate in response to both a T cell mitogen and recombinant human thrombopoietin. These findings provide new insights into the adaptive immune response in jawless vertebrates, shedding new light on the evolution of adaptive immunity.

Elucidating cellular architecture and cell-type evolution across species is central to understanding immune system function and susceptibility to disease. Adaptive immunity is a shared trait of the common ancestor of cartilaginous and bony fishes. However, evolutionary features of lymphocytes in these two jawed vertebrates remain unclear. Here, we present a single-cell RNA sequencing atlas of immune cells from cartilaginous (white-spotted bamboo shark) and bony (zebrafish and Chinese tongue sole) fishes. Cross-species comparisons show that the same cell types across different species exhibit similar transcriptional profiles. In the bamboo shark, we identify a phagocytic B cell population expressing several pattern recognition receptors, as well as a T cell sub-cluster co-expressing both T and B cell markers. In contrast to a division by function in the bony fishes, we show close linkage and poor functional specialization among lymphocytes in the cartilaginous fish. Our cross-species single-cell comparison presents a resource for uncovering the origin and evolution of the gnathostome immune system.

Oogenesis is a highly orchestrated process that depends on regulation by autocrine/paracrine hormones and growth factors. However, many details of the molecular mechanisms that regulate fish oogenesis remain elusive. Here, we performed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of the molecular signatures of distinct ovarian cell categories in adult Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). We characterized the successive stepwise development of three germ cell subtypes. Notably, we identified the cellular composition of fish follicle walls, including four granulosa cell types and one theca cell type, and we proposed important transcription factors (TFs) showing high activity in the regulation of cell identity. Moreover, we found that the extensive niche-germline bidirectional communications regulate fish oogenesis, whereas ovulation in fish is accompanied by the coordination of simultaneous and tightly sequential processes across different granulosa cells. Additionally, a systems biology analysis of the homologous genes shared by Chinese tongue sole and macaques revealed remarkably conserved biological processes in germ cells and granulosa cells across vertebrates. Our results provide key insights into the cell-type-specific mechanisms underlying fish oogenesis at a single-cell resolution, which offers important clues for exploring fish breeding mechanisms and the evolution of vertebrate reproductive systems.

Female-to-male sex reversals (pseudomales) are common in lower vertebrates and have been found in natural populations, which is a concern under rapid changes in environmental conditions. Pseudomales can exhibit altered spermatogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying pseudomale spermatogenesis remain unclear. Here, we characterized spermatogenesis in Chinese tongue sole ( Cynoglossus semilaevis ), a species with genetic and environmental sex determination, based on a high-resolution single-cell RNA-seq atlas of cells derived from the testes of genotypic males and pseudomales. We identified five germ cell types and six somatic cell types and obtained a single-cell atlas of dynamic changes in gene expression during spermatogenesis in Chinese tongue sole, including alterations in pseudomales. We detected decreased levels of Ca 2+ signaling pathway-related genes in spermatogonia, insufficient meiotic initiation in spermatocytes, and a malfunction of somatic niche cells in pseudomales. However, a cluster of CaSR genes and MAPK signaling factors were upregulated in undifferentiated spermatogonia of pseudomales. Additionally, we revealed that Z chromosome-specific genes, such as piwil2, dhx37 , and ehmt1 , were important for spermatogenesis. These results improve our understanding of reproduction after female-to-male sex-reversal and provide new insights into the adaptability of reproductive strategies in lower vertebrates.

Zebrafish have emerged as an attractive animal model for studying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, little is known about the cell types and intercellular interactions in zebrafish liver. Here, we established a liver atlas that consists of 10 cell types using single-cell RNA sequencing. By examining the heterogeneity of hepatocytes and analyzing the expression of NAFLD-associated genes in the specific cluster, we provide a potential target cell model to study NAFLD. Additionally, our analysis identified two distinct resident macrophages with inflammatory and noninflammatory functions and characterized the successive stepwise development of T cell subtypes in the liver. Importantly, we uncovered possible molecular mechanisms and revealed the central regulation of macrophages on target cells of fatty liver by analyzing the cellular interaction between hepatocytes and immune cells. Our data provide valuable information for future research on NAFLD in zebrafish.

为研究雷州半岛湖栖鳍虾虎鱼(Gobiopterus lacustris)遗传多样性,对湖栖鳍虾虎鱼雌雄性腺进行转录组测序,采用MISA软件进行微卫星分析,共获得25 452个微卫星标记,其中包含14 708个单碱基重复类型,6 175个2碱基重复类型,3、4、5和6碱基重复类型数目分别为4 223、327、15和4.随机选取50个微卫星位点设计引物,能够扩增出清晰稳定条带的有39对,其中,11个位点表现出不同程度的多态,28个位点呈现单态.利用11个具有多态性的微卫星位点分析湖栖鳍虾虎鱼在廉江市高桥镇红树林保护区、湛江东海岛、雷州市附城镇和雷州市九龙山红树林国家湿地公园4个野生群体中的遗传多样性及遗传结构,11个微卫星位点呈现出不同程度的多态性,等位基因数(Na)2～15,平均等位基因为(6±3.9)个,有效等位基因数(Ne)、平均观测杂合度(H0)和期望杂合度(He)分别在1.919～2.485、0.343～0.465和0.381～0.483之间,平均多态信息含量(PIC)为0.348～0.465.Hardy-Weinber平衡分析显示,4个群体的大部分位点未偏离平衡.在每个群体中进行连锁不平衡分析,有18对位点间显著(P＜0.05)或者极显著(P＜0.01)偏离连锁平衡.遗传分化系数在0.107～0.216之间,表明4个群体的遗传分化达到了中等水平以上.分子方差分析(AMOVA)显示,湖栖鳍虾虎鱼大部分的差异来自于群体内而非群体间.