A collaborative study by researchers from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), Universidad Católica del Maule, CIMARQ, and INCAR produced the first de novo assembly of the black cusk-eel (Genypterus maculatus) liver transcriptome. Researchers identified 26,620 transcripts with high assembly quality (N50 = 2,297) and recovered 97.1 % of expected metazoan genes and 75.7 % of bony fish genes. Under heat-stress conditions, 94 transcripts were differentially expressed (64 downregulated and 30 upregulated), offering candidate biomarkers for thermal stress impact. Given the liver’s roles in detoxification, metabolism, energy storage, and immunity, the study also demonstrated that heat waves can induce oxidative DNA damage and impair repair systems in black cusk-eel, with potential species-specific responses important for future aquaculture development.
