Digital gene expression analysis of Takifugu rubripes brain after acute hypoxia exposure using next-generation sequencing

The adverse effects of hypoxia are confined to biochemical, physiological, developmental and behavioral processes, especially injury of the brain. In this study, a subset of genes in the brain of Takifugu rubripes were analyzed using digital gene expression (DGE) profiles and next-generation sequencing after acute hypoxia. Among 32 differentially expressed genes, 29 were up-regulated and 3 were down-regulated following hypoxia exposure. Using Gene Ontology analysis, it was found that transcription and translation, metabolism, and the stress response were affected by exposure to hypoxia. KEGG analysis revealed that the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway was significantly enriched in hypoxia-exposed T. rubripes. To further confirm the differential expression of genes, quantitative real-time PCR was performed to test six candidate genes, with the following five genes exhibiting the same expression patterns as the sequencing results: Proto-oncogene c-fos, Kruppel-like factor 2, immediate early response 2, proopiomelanocortin A and rhodopsin. This work is the first to identify and annotate genes in T. rubripes affected by hypoxia stress. This investigation provides data for understanding the molecular mechanism of fish adaptation to hypoxia and provides a reference for rationally setting dissolved oxygen levels in aquaculture.