AUTHOR=Imentai Aiman , Gilannejad Neda , Martínez-Rodríguez Gonzalo , López Francisco J. Moyano , Martínez Francisca P. , Pěnka Tomáš , Dzyuba Viktoriya , Dadras Hadiseh , Policar Tomáš 

TITLE=Effects of First Feeding Regime on Gene Expression and Enzyme Activity in Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) Larvae

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.864536

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.864536

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=The present study investigates the effects of different feeding regimes with rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) and Artemia nauplii on the gene expression and digestive enzymes in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) larvae at 17 days post-hatch (DPH). Five experimental feeding protocols were performed in four replicates. The fish larvae at 5 days post-hatch (DPH), were initially fed with rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) for 3 days and from 8 to 17 DPH were fed with rotifers/Artemia for different time periods as follows: (A) only rotifers; (B) 8–13 DPH rotifers/14–17 DPH Artemia; (C) 8–10 DPH rotifers/ 11–17 DPH Artemia; (D) only Artemia; (E) a combination of rotifers and Artemia. The expression of genes related to intestinal development and maturation (aminopeptidase N, anpep; leucine aminopeptidase 3, lap3; intestinal-type alkaline phosphatase, alpi),  together with key pancreatic digestive proenzymes (trypsinogen 1, try1; chymotrypsinogen b, ctrb; carboxyl ester lipase precursor, cel; phospholipase a2, pla2g1b; pancreatic alpha amylase, amy2a), were assessed. Additionally, the activity of six enzymes (trypsin, lipase, alkaline phosphatase, amino peptidase, amylase, and chymotrypsin) were determined. The highest expression of two genes related to intestine (lap3; anpep) were observed in the fish fed a combination of rotifers and Artemia from 8 DPH (Group E). The expression of amy2a, ctrb, pla2g1b, try1 was significantly lower in larvae fed rotifers until 14 DPH and replaced by Artemia afterwards (Group B). The specific activity of brush border membrane enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase N) increased with combination of rotifers and Artemia in larval diet (Group E), indicating a more efficient maturation of digestive structures. Combination of rotifers and Artemia from 8 DPH (Group E) could be considered a more appropriate diet for first feeding pikeperch larvae compared with later introduction of Artemia, as indicated by the higher expression of genes and activities of digestive enzymes. Our findings provide new insight into the effect of temporal sequence of rotifers and Artemia on the expression of genes and activities of digestive enzymes in pikeperch larvae.