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The biennial ‘International Workshop on the Biology of Fish Gametes’ conference once again brought together world-class experts in the field of fish reproduction. Scientists met from 15-18 July at the University of León (Spain). This was the 9th edition of the conference aimed on unraveling the biological bases of the reproductive processes, thereby contributing to the improved reproductive efficienecy in aquaculture.

Every two years, the conference successfully brings together research groups from all over the world that study fish gametogenesis, gamete quality, the development of reproductive biotechnologies, the banking of genetic resources, the identification of biomarkers of reproductive performance, etc. For a scientific community dealing with such a narrow and highly specialised topic, this is the most important event of its kind in Europe. Not only does it provide a comprehensive look at the latest research and developments in the field of reproduction of fish and other aquatic organisms, but it also provides an opportunity for collaboration, forging partnerships, and initiating joint scientific projects.

Our Institute was the organiser of the 8th edition of the conference, which took place in Gdańsk in 2022. This year’s edition was attended by 7 researchers from our Institute. Dr. Daniel Żarski, the team leader of emerging Team of Fish Reproduction and Development, was a member of the international scientific committee responsible for shaping the scientific program of the conference and co-chair of the ‘Parental Contribution’ session.

Abhipsa Panda, a PhD student of Dr. Daniel Żarski, pursuing her thesis under the SONATA BIS project, was awarded the prize for the best oral student presentation. The research she presented included an exploration of the relationship between the origin of perch spawners, the quality of the offspring and their transcriptomic profile, which the researchers referred to as the ‘parental dispute’. The results of the presented research were based on unique crosses between wild and domesticated populations, characterised by exceptionally diverse phenotypes and breeding efficiency under laboratory conditions. The data presented by Abhipsa shed new light on the role played by individual perch parents on the ability of offspring to adapt to breeding conditions. ”We are convinced that this research will contribute in the future to optimising breeding procedures not only for perch fish, but also for other valuable fish species,” – explains Daniel Żarski, principal investigator of the project.

Additionally, the team of Daniel Żarski was represented by three more scientists from our institute.

Taina Rocha de Almeida, who is about to complete her postdoctoral training at our Institute, presented groundbreaking data on alternative pathways to build innate immunity in rainbow trout. Her work represents a key contribution to future breeding programmes. Dr. Joanna Nynca delivered a talk on the issue of virginity in wild pikeperch, shedding new light on the reproductive capacity of this species at both zootechnical and molecular levels. Dr. Sylwia Judycka presented the team’s scientific efforts to understand the developmental consequences in perch larvae obtained using cryopreserved sperm. Her poster was highlighted in the ‘flash talk’ session.

It should also be noted that during the conference, two scientists from Professor Andrzej Ciereszko’s team presented their work. Dr. Mariola Dietrich gave a lecture on the impact of cryopreservation strategies on the sturgeon sperm proteome, while Dr. Anna Majewska presented in poster form the results regarding the identification of a previously undescribed protein, Cap31 (SNAD1), and its potential role in the reproductive system of carp.

The active participation of our scientists, especially the first-time awarded oral presentation by a Polish doctoral student, cemented our Institute’s international position in the field of fish reproductive biology, stimulating many constructive discussions. As in previous years, the conference proved to be a highly inspiring event both from a scientific perspective and in terms of collaboration with leading centers across Europe.

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The aging process in the general population is influenced by various factors, including lifestyle and diet. Certain macro- and micronutrients in our diet interact directly with the human genome, impacting systems such as the immune system. Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare genetic disease, also illustrates the influence of diet on the severity of clinical features. Researchers have explored the connection between these aspects to gain insights into cellular aging.

„We use Fanconi anemia as a prime example of premature aging to illustrate that aging results from an imbalance in our genome—specifically, an imbalance between cellular repair mechanisms and the accumulation of molecular damage,” emphasize Dr. Eunike Velleuer and Prof. Carsten Carlberg, authors of a publication in the journal Nutrients.

What is Fanconi Anemia?

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disorder occurring in approximately one in 300,000 people. It is primarily caused by mutations in 22 different genes responsible for repairing damaged DNA. Individuals with FA often have congenital defects and a high risk of cancers, particularly squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Due to defects in the DNA repair process, conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy are ineffective.

A Nutrigenomic Perspective

Aging, unlike FA, is not a disease but a natural process involving the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage, leading to deteriorated function in cells, tissues, and organs. Both the general population and FA patients experience varying rates of aging. While genetics play a role in longevity, lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, physical inactivity, and environmental factors are significant determinants.

„Nutrition does more than provide essential macro- and micronutrients. Certain food molecules 'communicate’ with our genome and epigenome (chemical modifications to DNA that regulate its function), thereby modulating gene expression in the immune system,” explains Prof. Carsten Carlberg, who leads the Nutrigenomics Team at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Fanconi Anemia and Aging

The lifestyle of FA patients, including diet and physical activity, can influence the onset and severity of clinical features. Thus, FA serves as a model for understanding the aging process in the general population. Researchers have demonstrated that non-genetic factors involve cellular disturbances that modulate signal transduction pathways, affecting the epigenome by regulating chromatin-modifying enzymes.

In essence, the balance of genetic and environmental risk factors impacts both cancer onset and aging rates, linked to the transduction of dietary molecule signals. Changes in the epigenome correlate with chronological age and age-related diseases such as cancer. Some individuals may exhibit a 'younger’ epigenome in their tissues compared to their chronological age, while others may have an 'older’ epigenome, correlating with earlier onset of age-related diseases—a pattern observed in premature aging diseases. Conversely, offspring of 'super-aged’ individuals often show a lower epigenetic age in their blood compared to age-matched controls, making epigenetic signatures valuable biomarkers of aging.

„The results of our research benefit not only people with FA but also the general population. By monitoring the aging process at a molecular level, we can develop personalized nutritional or preventive recommendations. Additionally, these epigenetic signatures, being protein-based, could potentially form the basis for drugs that delay or even reverse age-related diseases such as cancer,” the researchers conclude.

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Learn more about the Nutrigenomics Team of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences: https://welcome2.pan.olsztyn.pl/.

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Developing international cooperation between research units for better use of investments financed by Regional Operational Programmes and creating innovations in the fields of food, health and bioeconomy – this is the main objective of the ‘CROSSPATHS’ project, implemented under Horizon Europe by institutions from Poland, Portugal and Estonia.

The leader of the consortium is the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. The other partners are: Catholic University of Portugal and the Estonian University of Life Sciences. They are representatives of the so-called Widening Countries, i.e. countries where the level of scientific excellence is lower than the European Union average.

Each of the units involved in the project has already benefited from ERDF funds, i.e. funds obtained from Regional Operational Programmes for investment in research infrastructure. All also have experience of obtaining grants from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

– The ‘CROSSPATHS’ project will bring together the consortium’s resources and create a group with the unique expertise to provide comprehensive solutions for food technology, health and bioeconomy in European systems. This will enable the group to become a large and significant player on the international stage, specialising in providing innovative food solutions with health-promoting effects and limited environmental impact – emphasises Prof. Mariusz Piskuła, director of the Institute and project coordinator. 

The aim of the project’s activities is to develop a joint internationalisation strategy and to launch programmes to build the institutions’ human resources capacities. Staff exchanges, study visits, summer schools, specialised training and courses, and participation in international brokerage meetings are just some of the planned activities. This will strengthen the links of these research units with leading European networks and, consequently, enable them to become desirable partners in Horizon Europe consortia.

The project consortium partners will be supported by a mentoring centre from the Netherlands (Wageningen Research), which will allow them to develop their research management competencies, especially in terms of applying for R&D projects and effectively commercialising the services offered by using EU-funded research investments.

IAR&FR PAS in Olsztyn coordinates the entire project. Within the framework of individual tasks, the Institute is responsible for developing a joint internationalisation strategy, organising international meetings and conferences, and a brokerage meeting in Brussels.

– Involvement in this major international project is an opportunity to showcase the capabilities and potential of our – the country’s leading – research unit outside Poland, and increases the chances of implementing the results of our research in European markets – the coordinator adds.

Funded by the EU funds project will run by the end of April 2026. The total budget is almost €1.2 million.

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Chokeberries and red cabbage owe their colour to anthocyanins, i.e. natural pigments which, in addition to their colouring properties, also have pro-health effects, including being powerful antioxidants. Researchers at our Institute have shown that these compounds cross the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. This means that they can act beneficially in the environment of nerve cells, inhibiting processes leading, for example, to neurodegenerative diseases.

– Brain is an organ particularly susceptible to oxidative damage, which in turn can lead to neurological disorders such as strokes and neurodegenerative diseases (dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases). Consumption of antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins can be a preventive measure. We have shown for the first time that they cross the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier – points out Prof. Wiesław Wiczkowski, head of Metabolomics Laboratory.  

IMBALANCE

The starting point for his team’s research was the desire to expand our knowledge of the absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion of anthocyanins present in food, including the possibility that these natural pigments and their metabolites – once ingested – reach the brain.

The second reason was the increasing number of scientific reports on the negative impact of modern society’s lifestyle – full of stress, lack of physical activity and poor diet. This contributes to increased levels of oxidative stress, which is characterised by an imbalance between oxidants (harmful free radicals when present in excess) and antioxidants (neutralising the former).

This state can lead to many diseases and a faster ageing of the body. The brain is also affected, as it is particularly sensitive to oxidative damage due to its high oxygen utilisation rate and high levels of unsaturated fatty acids.

As a preventive measure, scientists recommend the consumption of biologically active compounds with strong antioxidant properties. These include anthocyanins – natural pigments found in chokeberries and red cabbage.

However, in order for these compounds to have a chance to bring a beneficial effect to nerve cells, they must 'enter’ the nerve cell environment, e.g. the cerebrospinal fluid. For this to happen, they have to pass one of the barriers (blood-brain or blood-cerebrospinal fluid) that are designed to protect the central nervous system from toxic substances, among other things.

BREAK THROUGH

Researchers from the Institute have examined this and showed that anthocyanins from chokeberries and red cabbage can cross this barrier.

– We have shown that anthocyanins cross the cerebrospinal fluid and may therefore, theoretically, take part in all processes happening in the environment of nerve cells, especially those limiting oxidative processes – reports Prof. Wiczkowski.

Out of more than 600 anthocyanins present in the plant kingdom, the researchers investigated several forms of cyanidin – the most common form of anthocyanins. The cyanidin derivatives selected for the study had different structures (resulting from their combination with various sugars and phenolic acids; the more such combinations, the greater the structure of the compound).

– In addition to checking whether anthocyanins cross the barrier, we also wanted to see if and what role the molecular size and type of attached substituents (i.e. sugars and phenolic acids) play in this process. It turned out that the barrier crossing of anthocyanins is indeed determined by the molecular weight of these pigments and the type of substituents – explains the scientist.

The concentration of anthocyanins in the cerebrospinal fluid was detected at nanomol (10-9 mole) levels. – Therefore, further studies are needed to verify whether antioxidant mechanisms will occur at such low concentrations – he adds.

Wiesław Wiczkowski argues that, regardless of this last point, it is still a good idea to consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in anthocyanins (i.e. those of blue, purple, red and orange colours).
– A regular intake of anthocyanins also benefits the composition of our microflora, the functioning of our eyesight and numerous organs. Importantly, no negative effects of these pigments have been demonstrated so far – concludes the scientist.

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The research work was carried out within the framework of the already completed project entitled 'Studies on the permeation of anthocyanins and their metabolites across brain barriers in the context of prevention strategies for neurodegenerative diseases’, funded by the National Science Centre, whose initiator and manager was Prof. Wiesław Wiczkowski. For more details, see the scientific publications available below:

The Blood−Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier Is Selective for Red Cabbage Anthocyanins and Their Metabolites

The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier features different permeability to cyanidin-3-galactoside and cyanidin-3-diglucoside-5-glucoside and their metabolites circulating in blood

Chokeberry anthocyanins and their metabolites ability to cross the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier

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The research formed the core of Dr. Natalia Płatosz’s PhD thesis (under the supervision of Prof. Wiesław Wiczkowski), for which she was awarded the prestigious 'START’ scholarship for young scientists by the Foundation for Polish Science in 2023. Read more.

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On a macro scale, animal bodies are already well known to humans. However, when we descend to a lower level – to the micro scale – it becomes clear how many puzzles there still are. Dr Anna Majewska from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn has contributed to the completion of this knowledge. She characterised a protein discovered a few years ago called SNAD1, which turned out to be a new important player in fish immunology.

– A new protein called SNAD1 from the AID/APOBEC group of proteins may revolutionise our knowledge of fish immunity, shedding new light on all previously known mechanisms that fish use to fight pathogens and adapt to their environment. It is also a potential tool for the rapid detection of diseases in fish and for monitoring their welfare – emphasises Dr Anna Majewska from the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of the IARFR PAS in Olsztyn.

The SNAD1 protein was discovered in 2018 (initially under a different name) by Dr Mariola Dietrich, also from the IARFR PAS. This discovery resulted in further research, led by Dr Anna Majewska, in collaboration with scientists from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań, and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany.

This protein belongs to an interesting group of proteins that mutate the genetic code. – During evolution, a whole range of different mechanisms have evolved that could repair errors (mutations) in our DNA or RNA. And this group of proteins does the opposite: it causes these mutations! But it alters the genetic information in the nucleic acids in such a way as to give rise to specific antibodies that are capable of attacking or inactivating viruses or bacteria – explains the researcher.

This occurs in the biochemical process of deamination of cytidine to uridine catalysed by SNAD1. Deaminases are enzymes, and cytidine and uridine are biological active substances involved in cellular metabolism. Everything takes place within the nucleic acids, which store the organism’s genetic information and mediate protein production.

This protein is found in a variety of fish species. Thirteen of its variants have been demonstrated in carp, indicating its multifunctional role.

– In our study, we found that the SNAD1 protein is sensitive to a change in temperature to cooler temperatures – in which case its expression increases by up to a thousand-fold. This also happens in response to exposure to a virus or bacteria. This indicates that the protein plays an important role in immune processes. Thus, if a fish becomes infected with a bacterium or virus, the protein is involved in the host defence process by encoding genes in the RNA in such way that they produce an antibody to the specific pathogen – says the researcher.

In a paper recently published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, the researcher showed that the SNAD1 protein is involved in immune processes. However, it is necessary to understand it in more detail, among other biochemical aspects. Further research steps in this direction are already planned.

Once the SNAD1 protein has been further characterised, it could in future be used as a marker of fish welfare.
– If we know that the expression level of this protein increases in specific situations, we will be able to react immediately and stop the disease at an early stage. This could contribute to more efficient fish breeding and be a potential tool for treating various types of diseases through genetic engineering,” points out Anna Majewska.

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The research was conducted as part of a project from the NCN OPUS 22 competition entitled „In search of the role of carp cold acclimation protein 31 (Cap31) – a new player in fish immunity against microbes?”, led by Prof. Andrzej Ciereszko – head of the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of IARFR PAS in Olsztyn.

Dr Lucyna Budźko and Prof. Marek Figlerowicz from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Dr Mikołaj Adamek from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Germany) participated in the described research on the SNAD1 protein.

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