Moonlight controls lunar-phase-dependency and regular oscillation of clock gene expressions in a lunar-synchronized spawner fish, Goldlined spinefoot.

ABSTRACT: Goldlined spinefoot, Siganus guttatus, inhabits tropical and subtropical waters and synchronizes its spawning around the first quarter moon likely using an hourglass-like lunar timer. In previous studies, we have found that clock genes (Cryptochrome3 and Period1) could play the role of state variable in the diencephalon when determining the lunar phase for spawning. Here, we identified three Cry, two Per, two Clock, and two Bmal genes in S. guttatus and investigated their expression patterns in the diencephalon and pituitary gland. We further evaluated the effect on their expression patterns by daily interruptions of moonlight stimuli for 1 lunar cycle beginning at the new moon. It significantly modified the expression patterns in many of the examined clock(-related) genes including Cry3 i

SUBMITTER: Takeuchi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5906463 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature