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Transcriptomic profiling reveals tissue-specific and sex-dimorphic lipid storage in Bufo gargarizans
Yimin Zhang1,2, Xinyue Yang1, Tonghang Wang1
1The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, No. 46 East Jianshe Road, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, China.
BMC Genomics
|November 11, 2025
Summary
This study reveals calcium signaling drives fat tissue diversity in amphibians. Subcutaneous fat aids adipogenesis, while visceral fat supports female lipid storage and male gonadal protection.
Area of Science:
- Comparative genomics
- Endocrinology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Amphibian fat bodies, analogous to vertebrate white adipose tissue (WAT), are crucial lipid reservoirs with unique endocrine-reproductive integration.
- Limited understanding exists regarding the cellular heterogeneity and sex-specific adaptations of amphibian fat bodies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate molecular mechanisms of adipose tissue specialization in Bufo gargarizans.
- Identify sex- and depot-specific adaptations between visceral fat bodies and subcutaneous adipose tissue.
Main Methods:
- Comparative transcriptomics to analyze sex-biased gene expression.
- Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
- Investigated signaling pathways (calcium, MAPK) and molecular players (CACNA1G, NCX1, PHKG1, NFATc1, KLF2, MYLK3).
Main Results:
- Identified 1,201 visceral and 1,225 subcutaneous sex-biased DEGs.
- Subcutaneous fat utilizes calcium flux for lipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation.
- Visceral fat shows sexually dimorphic strategies: females augment TCA cycle for lipid storage, males upregulate Mucin-type O-glycan biosynthesis for testicular protection.
- Males enhance angiogenesis via KLF2 and Apelin pathway; females activate MYLK3 for vascular permeability.
Conclusions:
- Calcium signaling is central to adipose tissue diversification in B. gargarizans.
- Subcutaneous fat prioritizes calcium-mediated adipogenesis; visceral fat diverges for female lipid storage and male gonadal protection.
- Amphibian adipose systems serve as models for vertebrate lipid metabolism, revealing conserved mechanisms in vascular regulation and stress-induced glycosylation.
