Sterilization of Sterlet Acipenser Ruthenus by Using Knockdown Agent, Antisense Morpholino Oligonucleotide, Against Dead End Gene

Sturgeons (chondrostean, acipenseridae) are ancient fish species, widely known for their caviar. Nowadays, most of them are critically endangered. The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is a common Eurasian sturgeon species with a small body size and the fastest reproductive cycle among sturgeons. Such species can be used as a host for surrogate production; application is of value for recovery of critically endangered and huge sturgeon species with an extremely long reproductive cycle. One prerequisite for production of the donor's gametes only is to have a sterile host. Commonly used sterilization techniques in fishes such as triploidization or hybridization do not guarantee sterility in sturgeon. Alternatively, sterilization can be achieved by using a temporary germ cell exclusion-specific gene by a knockdown agent, the antisense morpholino oligonucleotide (MO). The targeted gene for the MO is the dead end gene (dnd) which is a vertebrate-specific gene encoding a RNA-binding protein which is crucial for migration and survival of primordial germ cells (PGCs). For this purpose, a dnd homologue of Russian sturgeon (Agdnd), resulting in the same sequence in the start codon region with isolated fragments of sterlet dnd (Ardnd), was used. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed tissue-specific expression of Ardnd only in the gonads of both sexes. Dnd-MO for depletion of PGCs together with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-biotin-dextran for PGCs labeling was injected into the vegetal region of one- to four-cell-stage sterlet embryos. In the control groups, only FITC was injected to validate the injection method and labeling of PGCs. After optimization of MO concentration together with volume injection, 250-μM MO was applied for sterilization of sturgeon embryos. Primordial germ cells were detected under a fluorescent stereomicroscope in the genital ridge of the FITC-labeled control group only, whereas no PGCs were present in the body cavities of morphants at 21 days after fertilization. Moreover, the body cavities of MO-treated and nontreated fish were examined by histology and in situ hybridization, showing gonads which had no germ cells in morphants at various stages (60, 150, and 210 days after fertilization). Taken together, these results report the first known and functional method of sturgeon sterilization.