Effect of 11-Deoxycorticosterone in the Transcriptomic Response to Stress in Rainbow Trout Skeletal Muscle

by Selleckchem | Mar 26 2023

In aquaculture, many stressors can negatively affect growth in teleosts. It is believed that cortisol performs glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid functions because teleosts do not synthesize aldosterone. However, recent data suggest that 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) released during stress events may be relevant to modulate the compensatory response. To understand how DOC modifies the skeletal muscle molecular response, we carried out a transcriptomic analysis. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were intraperitoneally treated with physiological doses of DOC in individuals pretreated with mifepristone (glucocorticoid receptor antagonist) or eplerenone (mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist). RNA was extracted from the skeletal muscles, and cDNA libraries were constructed from vehicle, DOC, mifepristone, mifepristone plus DOC, eplerenone, and eplerenone plus DOC groups. The RNA-seq analysis revealed 131 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) induced by DOC with respect to the vehicle group, mainly associated with muscle contraction, sarcomere organization, and cell adhesion. In addition, a DOC versus mifepristone plus DOC analysis revealed 122 DETs related to muscle contraction, sarcomere organization, and skeletal muscle cell differentiation. In a DOC versus eplerenone plus DOC analysis, 133 DETs were associated with autophagosome assembly, circadian regulation of gene expression, and regulation of transcription from RNA pol II promoter. These analyses indicate that DOC has a relevant function in the stress response of skeletal muscles, whose action is differentially modulated by GR and MR and is complementary to cortisol.

Comments：

The passage describes a study that aimed to investigate the role of 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) in modulating the skeletal muscle molecular response in rainbow trout under stress. The study used transcriptomic analysis to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) induced by DOC in skeletal muscles of the fish.

The results of the study suggest that DOC plays a significant role in the stress response of skeletal muscles in teleosts, with its action being differentially modulated by glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and being complementary to cortisol. The study found 131 DETs induced by DOC with respect to the vehicle group, mainly associated with muscle contraction, sarcomere organization, and cell adhesion. Furthermore, the study found that the action of DOC was modulated by GR and MR, as shown by the differences in DETs between the DOC versus mifepristone plus DOC and DOC versus eplerenone plus DOC analyses.

In conclusion, the study provides insights into the role of DOC in the stress response of skeletal muscles in teleosts and highlights the importance of understanding the complex interplay between different hormones and receptors in regulating physiological processes in fish.