Sex-Specific Gene Expression Associated with Zn Homeostasis in Squirrelfish

Abstract

Studies in squirrelfish (Holocentrus adscensionis) show that females preferentially increase Zn uptake from the environment during reproduction. This seemingly occurs as Zn is hyper-absorbed in the intestine and accumulated in the liver. This research focuses on the hypothesis that maternal Zn homeostasis modifications occur as a result of differential expression of cellular Zn transporters and Zn-binding proteins between the sexes due to reproductive status. Male and female squirrelfish were collected, and after generating cDNA from foregut and liver samples, qPCR was utilized to measure the expression of specific genes of interest that play important roles in Zn transport and accumulation.