Transcriptome Signatures Focusing on Immune-Related Genes in the Livers, Spleens and Kidneys of Male and Female Takifugu rubripes

To obtain information regarding immune-related genes and provide a genetic basis for the immune response in fish, we performed transcriptomic comparison analysis of the livers, spleens and kidneys of male and female Takifugu rubripes. The GO terms associated with cell surface receptor signaling were the most significantly enriched, and among the KEGG pathways, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, an immune-related pathway, was present in all the male groups. In addition, expression level of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 4-like (CTRP4-like) gene was upregulated in all the male samples, while the expression levels of voltage-dependent calcium channel subunit alpha-2/delta-2-like (CACNA2D2-like) and protein L-Myc-1b-like genes were upregulated in all the female samples. These results demonstrate the regulatory mechanisms of immune-related genes and provide candidates for the enhancement of pathogen resistance in T. rubripes. (C) 2020 Friends Science Publishers