Aquaculture

Methylome and transcriptome profiles reveal the importance of glycometabolism in thermal plasticity of large yellow croaker 

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Abstract

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing source of animal protein globally, but climate change threatens its productivity and sustainability through increasing marine heatwaves and cold spells. Phenotypic plasticity can provide rapid, within-generation buffering against such environmental fluctuations, yet the molecular basis of plastic thermal tolerance in aquaculture fishes remains poorly understood. Here, we integrated transcriptome (RNA-seq) and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) analyses in liver tissues of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) acclimated to 11 °C (cold-acclimated) and 30 °C (heat-acclimated). We identified 642 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the heat-acclimated group and 293 DEGs in the cold-acclimated group, with stronger fold-changes under cold acclimation. Gene Ontology and KEGG analyses highlighted carbohydrate metabolism, endocrine signaling, and stress response pathways. Whole-genome DNA methylation sequencing identified 15,813 and 16,508 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in the heat-acclimated group and cold-acclimated group, respectively, with 176 (Heat) and 81 (Cold) differentially methylated genes (DMGs) overlapping with DEGs. Key candidates included gck, bpgm, and midn, linking methylation dynamics to transcriptional regulation of glucose metabolism and hormone responses. Our results demonstrate that transcriptional and epigenetic plasticity jointly shape thermal tolerance in L. crocea, providing molecular insights into climate adaptation. This work enriches our understanding of plasticity mechanisms in marine aquaculture species and identifies candidate biomarkers for selective breeding and management under global climate change.

Keywords: Climate change; Thermal plasticity; Transcriptional regulation; Methylation regulation

How to Cite:

Yang, Y., Li, N., Wu, Y. & Xu, P., (2026) “Methylome and transcriptome profiles reveal the importance of glycometabolism in thermal plasticity of large yellow croaker ”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.25496