Effects of a sodium butyrate supplemented diet on the expression of genes related to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and immune response in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

EPICONCEPT Workshop 2014, Epigenomic Toolbox: from Methods to Models, 07-09 May 2014, Las Palmas, Spain.-- 1 pageEffects of a sodium butyrate supplemented diet on the expression of genes related to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and immune response in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid extensively used in animal nutrition since it promotes increases in body weight and other multiple beneficial effects on the intestinal tract, including anti-inflammatory effects. Butyrate supplementation is then an option to consider when feeding carnivorous fish with diets where fish oils have been partially substituted by vegetable oils. However, butyrate effects in fish have been poorly studied and little is known about the metabolic processes underlying these effects. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of a butyrate-supplemented diet through the expression of several inflammation-related genes in the intestine and liver of European sea bass juveniles. Moreover, since butyrate acts as a histone deacetylase inhibitor, some genes related to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms were also analyzed. As expected, sea bass fed with the butyrate supplemented diet showed a significant increase in weight. Furthermore, dicer1 high expression in the intestine was linked to a decrease in the irf1 levels, suggesting that dicer1 may be somehow inhibiting an interferon response against external influences, in this case dietary ones. In addition, high expression levels of the euchromatic histone-lysine-N-methyltransferase 2 (ehmt2) were related to il6 low levels in both examined tissues. Since ehmt2 is known to methylate histone residues, here it may be repressing il6 promoter and therefore reducing il6 expression. In addition, hdac11 levels (known to downregulate il10 expression in antigen-presenting cells) in the intestine were low, accompanied by a high expression of il10, suggesting the inactivation of the T-cell response. Together, these results are in agreement with the expected anti-inflammatory effects of butyrate and provide support for the expected persistent phenotypic effects of appropriate nutritional programming of carnivorous fish with the goal of contributing to a more sustainable fish farmingPeer Reviewe

Histone modifications and the expression of genes related to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in european sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fed a diet supplemented with sodium butyrate

EPICONCEPT Conference, Epigenetics and Periconception Environment, 26-29 September 2016, Giardini Naxos, Italy.-- 1 pageThe short-chain fatty acid butyrate has positive effects on the health of the intestinal tract and peripheral tissues. The mechanisms of action of butyrate are related to its potent regulatory effect on gene expression since butyrate is a histone deacetylase inhibitor. We investigated in sea bass the effects of buty rate used as a feed additive on fish epigenetics as well as its regulatory role on gene expression. Seven target genes related to inflammatory response and reinforcement of the epithelial defense barrier (tnf interleukin 1beta, il-6, il-8, il-10, muc2) and five target genes related to epigenetic modifications (dicer1, ehmt2, pcgf2, hdac11, jarid2a) were analyzed in fish intestine and liver. We also investigated the effect of dietary butyrate on histone acetylation, by performing an immunoblotting analysis on liver core histone extracts. Results of the 8-week-long feeding trial showed no significant differences in weight gain of sea bass that received 0.2% Na-butyrate in the diet in comparison to control fish that received a diet without Na-butyrate. Butyrate led to a threefold increase in the acetylation level of histone H4 at lysine 8, but showed no effect on the histone H3 at Lys9. Moreover, two different isoforms of histone H3 that might correspond to the H3.1 and H3.2 isoforms found in terrestrial animals were separated on the immunoblots. The expression of four out of seven analyzed genes related to mucosal protection and inflammatory response was significantly different between the two analyzed tissues but only il10 showed differences in expression due to the interaction between tissue and butyrate treatment. In addition, butyrate caused significant changes in vivo in the expression of genes related to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms such as hdac11, ehmt2, and dicer1. Statistical analysis by 2-way ANOVA for these genes showed significant differences due to butyrate treatment, and to the interaction between tissue and treatmentPeer Reviewe

Effects of sodium butyrate treatment on histone modifications and the expression of genes related to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and immune response in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fed with a diet partially substituted with vegetable oils

Epigenetics and Periconception Environment : Proceedings of the EPICONCEPT Conference 2015, 6-7 October 2015, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece.-- 1 pageBacteria that inhabit the epithelium of the animal’s digestive tract, play a critical role in the establishment and maintenance of their hosts’ health. The intestinal microbiota is involved in the anaerobic fermentation of dietary otherwise indigestible carbohydrates producing short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Butyrate is a SCFA extensively used in animal nutrition since it promotes increases in body weight and other multiple beneficial effects on the intestinal tract. Although such effects have been demonstrated in several species, very few studies have assessed them in fish. In the present work, growth parameters and changes in the expression of several inflammation-related genes have been quantified in the intestine and liver of European sea bass fed on a butyrate-supplemented diet. Results showed a significant increase in the weight of fish receiving butyrate, whereas gene expression provided some clues on the suggested effects of this feed additive. Indeed, four genes (il1β, il8, irf1 and tnfα) showed significant differences in the expression between the two tissues but only interleukin 10 ( il10) showed differences due to the butyrate treatment. Moreover, since butyrate acts as a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor, we also determined the effect of butyrate treatment on the expression of a suite of genes related to epigenetic modification that, in addition, are known to be influenced by the rearing environment (temperature) in the European sea bass. These genes modified their expression and included: 1) dicer 1, which encodes an active small RNA component that represses gene expression, 2) ehmt2, which demethylates Lys9 in histone3 in euchromatin, creating a tag for epigenetic transcription repression, 3) pcfg2, which acts via chromatin remodeling and histone modification, 4) hdac11, which modifies core histone octamers and influence the packing of chromatin in dense structures or controls various histone methyltransferase complexes (jarid2a)Peer Reviewe

¿Puede la Acuicultura ayudar a recuperar una especie en peligro de extinción? Estudio con Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834)

Ureta, M. ... et. al.-- I Congrés Internacional de Biologia de Catalunya (CIBICAT): Global Questions on Advanced Biology. An international conference on interdisciplinary frontiers in biology. As part of the first Centenary of the Societat Catalana de Biologia. 9-12 July 2012, BarcelonaDusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) is an economically important and emblematic species in the Mediterranean Sea, also gastronomically appreciated. However, this species has been suffering from an important fishing pressure to date and it is considered as an endangered species in the Red Book of Threatened Species (UICN). For these reasons, the Catalonian Aquaculture Network (XRAq) has put in contact some of the most important researchers in Spain related to this species to carry out an ambitious project. The goal of this project is to improve the reproduction techniques used for the dusky grouper to restock natural populations and to diversify the Spanish aquaculture market offer. Both actions are expected to benefit the natural populations. This project is being held in Barcelona and in Cadiz, working with Epinephelus marginatus, and in Vigo with another species of grouper (Polyprion americanus) also highly appreciatedPeer Reviewe