Genetic secrets of salinity stress response in the invasive Mozambique tilapia

Many invasive species share an ability rapidly adapt physiologically. These abilities permit some invasives to thrive in new ecosystems, acclimatize, establish a population and look to spread further. One such species, the Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, is a freshwater cichlid native to southern Africa. Due to its popularity as an aquaculture species it has been transported around the world. It is found in many subtropical and tropical habitats where its physiological robustness has made it an ideal invasive species.

The Mozambique tilapia has the remarkable ability to survive and breed within brackish water. As climate change continues to alter the chemistry of the water bodies, this type of trait will become critically important to the survival of aquatic species. Researchers at the University of California, Davis and East China Normal University for the first time have identified short "enhancer" DNA segments that influence the expression of genes controlling osmoregularity and salinity response processes.

Enhancers can be located upstream or downstream from a gene, within the coding region, or even thousands of nucleotides away. When a DNA-bending protein binds to the enhancer, the shape of the DNA changes, which allows interactions between the activators and transcription factors to occur. Identification of the genetic mechanisms controlling osmoregulation could be vital of the management of invasive or endangered species in the future.

For the full publication please see the following PNAS article

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/03/08/1614712114

Image from the following NSW gov website http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/species/tilapia