Computational analysis of superoxide dismutase genes (sod1, sod2, and sod3) and comprehensive tissue-specific gene expression profiling in Tetraodon (Tetraodon nigroviridis)

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to conduct in silico analyses on superoxide dismutase (sod1, sod2, and sod3) genes in tetraodon (Tetraodon nigroviridis), employing bioinformatics tools, and to assess the gene expressions in various tissues such as the intestine, brain, kidney, liver, muscle, heart, eye, spleen, gills, stomach, ovary, and testis of tetraodon. To achieve this, tissue samples were obtained from both male and female tetraodon, spanning the aforementioned organs, with the purpose of acquiring cDNA. Total RNA was isolated from each tissue, and subsequently, the transcripts of sods genes were assessed using qPCR, while transcript quantities were determined through RT-qPCR. The in silico analyses encompassed the examination of gene structure, conserved gene synteny, phylogenetic tree analyses, and the identification of similarity-identity ratios with other vertebrates. When examining the transcriptional differences between male and female tissues for the Tetraodon sod1 gene, it was noted that, except for the heart tissue, all other tissues studied (including the liver, intestine, muscle, brain, eyes, spleen, gills, kidney, stomach, and gonads) exhibited significantly higher expression levels in male fish. Examining the results for the sod2 gene in male and female tetraodon, significant upregulation was observed in the liver, muscle, gills, intestine, ovary, and testis, with no statistical significance in tissues like the intestine, heart, and gonads. Regarding the sod3 gene in male and female tetraodon, heart, spleen, and stomach tissues did not show statistical significance, but the liver, intestine, gills, kidney, stomach, and gonads exhibited significantly higher expression in male fish (p<0.05).