• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2001

Characterization of a single pass of cDNA sequence, an expressed sequence tag (EST) has been a fast growing activity in fish genomics. Despite its relatively short history, fish EST databases (dbESTs) have already begun to play a significant role in bridging the gaps in our knowledge on the gene expression in fish genome. This review provides a brief description of the technology for establishing fish dbESTs, its current status, and implication of the ESTs to aquaculture and fisheries science with particular emphasis on the discovery of novel genes for transgenic application, the use of polymorphic EST markers in genetic linkage mapping and the evaluation of signal-responsive gene expression.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.287-303
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• 2007

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and differentially expressed cDNAs from the self-fertilizing fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus were mined to develop alternative biomarkers for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). 1,577 K. marmoratus cDNA clones were randomly sequenced from the 5'-end. These clones corresponded to 1,518 and 1,519 genes in medaka dbEST and zebrafish dbEST, respectively. Of the matched genes, 197 and 115 genes obtained Unigene IDs in medaka dbEST and zebrafish dbEST, respectively. Many of the annotated genes are potential biomarkers for environmental stresses. In a differential display reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (DD RT-PCR) study, 56 differential expressed genes were obtained from fish liver exposed to bisphenol A. Of these, 16 genes were identified after BLAST search to GenBank, and the annotated genes were mainly involved in catalytic activity and binding. The expression patterns of these 16 genes were validated by real-time RT-PCR of liver tissue from fish exposed to bisphenol A. Our findings suggest that expression of these 16 genes is modulated by endocrine disrupting chemicals, and therefore that they are potential biomarkers for environmental stress including EDCs exposure.