Molecular cloning, expression analysis, and appetite regulatory effect of peptide YY in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)

Peptide YY (PYY) is an anorectic brain-gut peptide involved in feeding regulation and well characterized in mammals. However, the functional role of PYY in the appetite regulatory of fish is not clear. In this study, we characterized a high conservation of PYY cDNA and found high expression levels of PYY mRNA in the brain and digestive tract of Siberian sturgeon. Then, we examined preprandial (pre- and post-feeding) changes of PYY mRNA expression in the brain that showed a significantly increased in 3 h post-feeding, suggesting an anorectic possible function of PYY in Siberian sturgeon. Next, we examined the expression of PYY mRNA during 15 days fasting and refeed after fasting. The SsPYY mRNA expression of unfed fish had a significant 2.4, 1.7, 2.0, 2.2, and 2.1-fold decrease compared to 1-, 3-, 6-, 10- and 15-day ad libitum fed animals, respectively. After refeed, SsPYY mRNA significantly increased 1.9 and 4.1-fold above that of the 15-day fed and unfed fish control group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, a single intraperitoneal injection of 10, 100 and 200 ng/g BW SsPYY1-36 caused a reduction in the next feeding and no significant reduction in food intake was observed in fish injected with a 1 ng/g BW. Overall, PYY has a potentially role in food intake attenuation of Siberian sturgeon.