Sweeney, Glen - Cardiff University - School of Biosciences

研究领域

The nature and regulation of life cycle transitions in fish All fish species go through a transition that converts the larva which emerges following hatching of an egg, into a juvenile that simply needs to grow to attain the adult phenotype. The most dramatic manifestation of the larval-juvenile transition is seen in flatfish metamorphosis, where there are dramatic morphological changes and a loss of external bilateral symmetry. We are studying metamorphosis in a major cultured flatfish species, the Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus). Subtractive hybridisation is being used to identify genes that become activated during metamorphosis. Additionally the role of the endocrine system in metamorphosis is being investigated. In particular we are investigated the role of thyroid hormones, and thyroid hormone receptors in promoting halibut metamorphosis and the larval-juvenile transition in a non-metamorphic fish species, the sea bream Sparus aurata. We are also conducting research into smoltification — the process by which freshwater salmon become adapted for life in salt water prior to their migration from river to sea. Subtractive hybridisation is being used to isolated genes that show differential expression during metamorphosis, and we have also cloned thyroid homrone receptors from salmon since thyroid hormones have a role in regulating smoltification. Sex determination in fish Unlike the simple XY/XX chromosomal sex-determining system of mammals, fish use a range of different strategies to determine sex. Some fish species have chromosomal sex determining systems analogous to those of mammals (XX/XY) or birds (ZZ/ZW), but in other species the are no morphologically distinct sex chromosomes, with environmental factors taking the lead role in sex determination. We are studying the role of candidate sex determining genes, particularly WT-1, and various members of the sox gene family, in sex determination in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Sea bass is of great interested because of the heavily skewed sex ratios (approx. 90% of offspiring are male), that are encountered on sea bass farms.

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Campinho, M.et al. 2012. Molecular and cellular changes in skin and muscle during metamorphosis of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) are accompanied by changes in deiodinases expression. Cell and Tissue Research 350(2), pp. 333-346. (10.1007/s00441-012-1473-x) Navarro-Martín, L.et al. 2012. Characterisation and expression during sex differentiation of Sox19 from the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 163(3-4), pp. 316-323. (10.1016/j.cbpb.2012.08.004) Campinho, M.et al. 2010. Coordination of deiodinase and thyroid hormone receptor expression during the larval to juvenile transition in sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus). General and Comparative Endocrinology 165(2), pp. 181-194. (10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.06.020) Navarro-Martín, L.et al. 2009. Different sox17 transcripts during sex differentiation in sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 299(2), pp. 240-251. (10.1016/j.mce.2008.11.013) Seear, P.et al. 2009. Differential gene expression during smoltification of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.): a first large-scale microarray study. Marine Biotechnology 12(2), pp. 126-140. (10.1007/s10126-009-9218-x) Galay-Burgos, M.et al. 2008. Thyroid hormone receptor expression during metamorphosis of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus). Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 281(1-2), pp. 56-63. (10.1016/j.mce.2007.10.009) Power, D.et al. 2008. The Molecular and endocrine basis of flatfish metamorphosis. Reviews in Fisheries Science 16(sup 1), pp. 95-111. (10.1080/10641260802325377) Taggart, J.et al. 2008. A description of the origins, design and performance of the TRAITS–SGP Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. cDNA microarray. Journal of Fish Biology 72(9), pp. 2071-2094. (10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.01876.x) Hildahl, J.et al. 2007. Identification of two isoforms of Atlantic halibut insulin-like growth factor-I receptor genes and quantitative gene expression during metamorphosis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 147(3), pp. 395-401. (10.1016/j.cbpb.2007.02.006) Campinho, M.et al. 2007. Troponin T isoform expression is modulated during Atlantic Halibut metamorphosis. BMC Developmental Biology 7(1), article number: 71. (10.1186/1471-213X-7-71)