Molecular characterization and tissue expression of peptide YY in Schizothorax prenanti: Effects of periprandial changes and fasting on expression in the hypothalamus

• In this study, the PYY cDNA was first cloned in Schizothorax prenanti.
• Unlike mammals, the PYY is expressed abundantly in the central nervous system of Schizothorax prenanti.
• The PYY mRNA expression in the hypothalamus was highly elevated after a meal.
• The expression of PYY in the hypothalamus was significantly decreased after fasting and increased sharply after refeeding.

Peptide YY (PYY) is a potent anorectic neuropeptide implicated in feeding regulation in mammals. However, the involvement of PYY in the feeding behavior of teleosts has not been well understood. In this study, we employed molecular, real-time quantitative PCR and physiological studies to characterize the structure, distribution, and appetite regulatory effects of PYY in Schizothorax prenanti (S. prenanti). A very high conservation in PYY sequences was found in teleosts. PYY is widely expressed, with the highest levels of expression in telencephalon, medulla oblongata, pituitary and hypothalamus of S. prenanti. The PYY mRNA expression in the hypothalamus was highly elevated after a meal, suggesting a satiety signal role for PYY in S. prenanti. In addition, PYY gene expression in the hypothalamus was decreased after fasting and increased sharply after refeeding, which suggested that PYY might be involved in the central regulation of appetite in S. prenanti. Overall, our result provides basis for further investigation into the regulation of feeding in S. prenanti.