Molecular regulation of starvation stress on feeding behavior of juvenile Lateolabrax maculatus

【Objective】Investigating the molecular regulation of feeding behavior in juvenile Lateolabrax maculatus under starvation stress，to provide theoretical references for coping with starvation stress in L. maculatus and elucidating the impact of starvation stress on their feeding behavior.【Method】Using juvenile L. maculatus as subjects，investigated the effects of starvation stress on body mass and feeding rate，as well as the impact on the relative expression levels of feeding related genes. After the starvation followed by feeding treatment，real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was employed to assess the influence of starvation and feeding on the relative expression levels of feeding-related genes in the juvenile L. maculatus.【Result】After both short-term and medium and long term starvation treatments，the body mass and body mass gain of juvenile L. maculatus was significantly reduced（P<0.05，the same below），with a significant increase in the relative expression levels of appetite generation genes and a significant decrease in the relative expression levels of anorexia generation genes. After short-term starvation followed by feeding，the feeding rate of juvenile L. maculatus could recover to normal level，with the relative expression levels of appetite generation genes npy，agrp，mch and galanin grodually decreased，returning to control group level after 3 d of feeding；the relative expression levels of anorexia generation genes m-tor，pomc and α-mshgradually increased. In contrast，long-term starvation and followed by feeding did not allow the feeding rate of juvenile L. maculatus to return to normal levels，with the relative expression levels of both appetite-stimulating genes npy，agrp，mch and galanin and anorexia generation genes leptin，m-tor，pomc and α-mshgradually increased.【Conclusion】The body mass and body mass gain of juvenile L. maculatus is significantly decreased under short-term and long-term starvation stress，and the feeding rate of juvenile L. maculatus after short-term starvation followed by feeding returned to normal level. The expression levels of appetite generation genes gradually decrease，and the expression levels of anorexia generation genes（leptin，m-tor，pomc and α-msh）first decrease and then increase. The feeding rate of juvenile L. maculatus under long-term starvation followed by feeding can not recover to the normal level，and the relative expression levels of appetite generation genes and anorexia generation genes grodually increase.