Molecular characterization and ornithine-urea cycle genes expression in air-breathing magur catfish (Clarias magur) during exposure to high external ammonia

The air-breathing magur catfish (Clarias magur) is a potential ureogenic teleost because of its functional ornithine-urea cycle (OUC), unlike typical freshwater teleosts. The ability to convert ammonia waste to urea was a significant step towards land-based life forms from aquatic predecessors. Here we investigated the molecular characterization of some OUC genes and the molecular basis of stimulation of ureogenesis via the OUC in magur catfish. The deduced amino acid sequences from the complete cDNA coding sequences of ornithine transcarbamyolase, argininosuccinate synthase, and argininosuccinate lyase indicated that phylogenetically magur catfish is very close to other ureogenic catfishes. Ammonia exposure led to a significant induction of major OUC genes and the gene products in hepatic and in certain non-hepatic tissues of magur catfish. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that the induction of ureogenesis in magur catfish under hyper-ammonia stress is mediated through the activation of OUC genes as an adaptational strategy.