Genome-wide association study of VHSV-resistance trait in Paralichthys olivaceus.

In flounder aquaculture, selective breeding plays a vital role in the development of disease-resistant traits and animals with high growth rates. Moreover, superior animals are required to achieve high profits. Unlike growth-related traits, disease-resistant experiments need to be conducted in a controlled environment, as the improper measurement of traits often leads to low genetic correlation and incorrect estimation of breeding values. In this study, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) resistance was studied using a genome-wide association study (GWAS), and the genetic parameters were estimated. Genotyping was performed using a high-quality 70 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Affymetrix® Axiom® myDesign™ Genotyping Array of olive flounder. A heritability of ∼0.18 for resistance to VHSV was estimated using genomic information of the fish. According to the GWAS, significant SNPs were detected in chromosomes 21, 24, and contig AGQT02032065.1. Three SNPs showed significance at the genome-wide level (p < 1 × 10-6), while others showed significance above the suggestive cutoff (p < 1 × 10-4). The 3% phenotypic variation was explained by the highest significant SNP, named AX-419319631. Of the important genes for disease resistance, SNPs were associated with plcg1, epha4, clstn2, pik3cb, hes6, meis3, prx6, cep164, siae, and kirrel3b. Most of the genes associated with these SNPs have been previously reported with respect to viral entry, propagation, and immune mechanisms. Therefore, our study provides helpful information regarding VHSV resistance in olive flounder, which can be used for breeding applications.

Characterisation of inorganic elements and volatile organic compounds in the dried sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus.

The sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus lives in a variety of marine habitats and is an important cultivated edible aquatic species in East Asia. In this study, S. japonicus, collected from the sea near Jeju Island of Korea, was lyophilised or vacuum-dried and then analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The GC-MS profiles of vacuum-dried and lyophilised samples differed. Based on direct injection and static headspace analysis, 37 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in vacuum-dried samples and 33 VOCs were identified in lyophilised samples. Therefore, the odour of vacuum-dried sea cucumber is thought to be due to the presence of various VOCs that are absent in lyophilised sea cucumber. According to ICP-MS analysis, the levels of 15 inorganic elements were slightly higher in lyophilised samples than in vacuum-dried samples. The results of the inorganic and organic chemical analyses provide information about the composition of dried sea cucumber.