Inhibition of histone deacetylation reduces the number of primordial germ cells in common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Abstract

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) serve as the foundation of reproductive development in sexually reproducing animals. Common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) is an economically important fish species, ranking fifth in global aquaculture production. The study of common carp PGC development not only has significant theoretical significance, but also serves as an important foundation for developing innovative breeding techniques based on PGC manipulation. In this study, we found that treatment with FK228, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, led to decreased PGC numbers and aberrant PGC migration in common carp. Further analysis revealed that knockdown of hdac1 or sinhcaf during embryogenesis significantly increased H3K18ac and H3K27ac levels in common carp PGCs. The number of PGCs was significantly reduced in 80%-epiboly, 3-somite, 10-somite, and prim-5 stage embryos in which hdac1 , sinhcaf or both hdac1 and sinhcaf were knocked down. Furthermore, at the prim-5 stage, both the number of mis-migrated PGCs and the percentage of embryos exhibiting aberrant PGC migration were significantly increased in the knockdown groups. The reduction in PGC numbers caused by hdac1 or sinhcaf knockdown could be rescued by the injection of corresponding hdac1 or sinhcaf mRNA. Collectively, these data demonstrate that histone deacetylation plays an essential role in carp PGC development. Targeting HDAC function to reduce PGCs provides a theoretical foundation for exploring reproductive containment in common carp.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Aquaculture Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗