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Transcriptomic and Physiological Responses Reveal a Time-Associated Multi-Organ Injury Pattern in European Perch
Geng Chen1, Yi Liu2, Xiaodong Li3
1Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|December 30, 2025
Summary
Alkaline stress damages fish gills and liver, causing oxidative damage and cell death. Transcriptomics reveals gene expression changes in response to this critical environmental stressor.
Area of Science:
- Environmental toxicology
- Fish physiology
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Water alkalinization is a significant global stressor for freshwater fish.
- Understanding multi-organ responses to alkaline stress is crucial for fish health and aquaculture.
- Previous studies have not fully elucidated the time-resolved, systemic effects of acute alkaline exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the time-resolved, multi-organ responses of European perch to acute alkaline stress.
- To integrate histopathology, biochemistry, and transcriptomics for a comprehensive assessment.
- To identify key genes and pathways involved in the stress response.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) to acute alkaline stress (20 mmol/L).
- Histopathological examination of gill and liver tissues.
- Biochemical analysis, including Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels.
- Multi-organ transcriptomic analysis to identify Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs).
Main Results:
- Acute alkaline stress induced gill tissue damage (lamellar fusion, necrosis) and impaired osmoregulation within 96 hours.
- Progressive hepatic impairment followed, characterized by oxidative stress (elevated MDA) and hepatocyte necrosis.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed extensive gene expression changes in the liver (3629 DEGs) and kidney (478 DEGs).
- The liver showed activation of the HIF-1 signaling pathway and protein quality control systems, but these were insufficient to prevent injury.
Conclusions:
- A time-associated sequence of organ-specific stress responses to acute alkalinity in European perch was established.
- Candidate genes (slc7a11, egln3, klhl38b) were identified as potential targets for improving alkali tolerance.
- This study provides insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying fish responses to alkaline environments.
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