Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 22, 2026
08:51
Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
Published on: May 13, 2016
13.7K
Gene expression responses of threespine stickleback to salinity: implications for salt-sensitive hypertension
Gang Wang1, Ence Yang1, Kerri J Smith2
1Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University College Station, TX, USA.
Frontiers in Genetics
|October 14, 2014
Summary
Threespine sticklebacks reveal salt-responsive genes linked to human hypertension (HTN). This study identifies potential new HTN genes and validates existing ones, using fish as a novel model for human salt-related disease research.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Comparative Physiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Identifying genetic factors for hypertension (HTN) is challenging despite genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
- Threespine stickleback fish exhibit diverse salinity adaptations, offering a unique model for studying salt handling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic basis of salinity adaptation in threespine sticklebacks.
- To identify conserved genes involved in salt regulation between sticklebacks and humans, potentially revealing novel hypertension (HTN) susceptibility genes.
Main Methods:
- Acclimation of freshwater (FW) and saltwater (SW) threespine sticklebacks to varying salinities (fresh, brackish, sea water) for 30 days.
- RNA sequencing of fish kidneys to analyze gene expression patterns in response to salinity changes.
- Comparative analysis of stickleback salt-responsive genes with human genes associated with hypertension (HTN).
Main Results:
- Identified 1844 salt-responsive genes in stickleback kidneys.
- Found significant overlap between stickleback salt-responsive genes and human hypertension (HTN) genes (P < 10(-7)).
- Discovered a novel HTN gene, MAP3K15, and confirmed genes within known GWAS loci (AGTRAP-PLOD1, CYP1A1-ULK3).
Conclusions:
- Threespine stickleback salt-responsive genes provide valuable insights for identifying human hypertension (HTN) genes.
- The stickleback serves as a complementary model organism for human hypertension (HTN) research, particularly for salt-related mechanisms.
- This study highlights conserved genetic pathways for salt handling across species, aiding in understanding human disease susceptibility.
Related Concept Videos
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
12.2K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
12.2K
01:06Fixed Action Patterns
15.9K
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
15.9K
02:32Osmoregulation in Fishes
48.6K
When cells are placed in a hypotonic (low-salt) fluid, they can swell and burst. Meanwhile, cells in a hypertonic solution—with a higher salt concentration—can shrivel and die. How do fish cells avoid these gruesome fates in hypotonic freshwater or hypertonic seawater environments?
48.6K
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
514
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
514
01:22Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses
6.8K
The physiological function of a cell and cellular communication are outcomes of a range of extrinsic signals, intracellular signaling pathways, and cellular responses. No two cell types express the same repertoire of signaling components. Receptors are highly selective for their cognate ligands, but once activated, they can alter multiple cellular processes such as DNA transcription, protein synthesis, and metabolic activity.
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
6.8K