Sturgeon sexing – Acipensexe
“Acipensexe … the sex of angels?”
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The sex of sturgeon in heart of a triptych
The issue of «sturgeon« is part of a context of both, ecological, economic and scientific. The 27 species of sturgeon are endangered despite the introduction of restocking programs. The caviar which is produced by female, either in the wild - which is increasingly rare - either in farmed, even if it’s not optimized. Finally sturgeon is an ancestral fish to specific biological characteristics that remain relatively unknown. The purpose of the project is to provide new knowledge about sturgeon and specifically on a key biological process that is sex determination. The Acipensexe project, aims to develop a tool for sturgeon sexing at early stage. This innovating tool developed on the basis of molecular markers, will improve the efficiency of restocking programs by providing better monitoring. Moreover, by separating males from females earlier, fish farmers can then optimize their farming, replace the males by females or by raising them differently.
Molecular biology can highlight specific markers of pollution, pathogen, population or sex. These markers are characteristic of a portion of the genome or of gene expression, which differ between the sexes. To highlight these markers, one approach is a random screening of the genome (or transcriptome) of sturgeon in order to obtain different genetic profiles, that is to say having one or more fragments in the one of sexes. This phase, which began before the project Acipensexe, allowed to select several interesting profiles. The purpose of the project is therefore to isolate, characterize the fragments of interest and validate their presence / absence, with a representative sample. The sexing tool would not be complete without a marking system for individuals and of sampling of tissue. The identification of existing systems and their implementation in line with the needs of fish farmers can permit to develop the best system. This system combined with markers of sex then provides a tool for sexing, comprehensive and innovative.
Results of the project
Throughout the project, the scientific approaches have been diversified to achieve the initial objectives and a suitable sampling system has been validated.
The purchase of juveniles for the project has allowed a partnership with a fish French hatchery wishing to undertake a long-term cooperation.
A technology platform biotechnology «BioTechServices« was created in January 2011. It will be a tool in the valorization of the project results Acipensexe.
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Applications that can result from the Acipensexe project being commercial, no scientific publication has been produced since the beginning of the project. The results obtained during the project have not yet been the subject of a valorization, as patent.
Project coordination
Josiane AUBERT (Université)
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partner
Help of the ANR 222,934 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
- 24 Months
