Screening for IBs-relative genes by transcriptome analysis and generation IBs-less mutants in Culter alburnus

Intermuscular bones (IBs), distributed specifically in the myosepta on both sides of lower teleosts, negatively affect palatability and processing. Recent research in zebrafish and several economically important farmed fishes has led to the breakthrough discovery of the mechanism of IBs formation and generation of IBs-loss mutants. This study explored the ossification patterns of IBs in juvenile Culter alburnus. Besides, some key genes and bone-related signaling pathways were identified by transcriptomic data. Furthermore, PCR microarray validation revealed that claudin1 could potentially regulate IBs formation. Additionally, we created several IBs-reduced mutants of C. alburnus by loss of the function of bone morphogenetic proteins 6 (bmp6) gene using CRISPR/Cas9 editing. These results suggested that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated bmp6 knockout was promising approach for breeding IBs-free strain in other cyprinids.