Review: Recent Applications of Gene Editing in Fish Species and Aquatic Medicine

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The aquaculture industries are essential sectors of food production and global trade. Several novel approaches have established gene modification in different fish species over the last few years. These approaches show that gene editing tools, including the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, are very powerful and broadly used in aquaculture. The targeted and accurate modifications in the genome of different fish species and their pathogens bring radical improvement in different aquaculture sectors, including disease resistance, growth or reproduction. With these novel techniques presenting feasible molecular devices, the development of functional genomics and therapeutic applications in fish species and crustaceans can be enhanced. In summary, the creation of mutant animals in aquaculture through specific gene modification methods is the reality. ABSTRACT: Gene editing and gene silencing techniques have the potential to revolutionize our knowledge of biology and diseases of fish and other aquatic animals. By using such techniques, it is feasible to change the phenotype and modify cells, tissues and organs of animals in order to cure abnormalities and dysfunctions in the organisms. Gene editing is currently experimental in wide fields of aquaculture, including growth, controlled reproduction, sterility and disease resistance. Zink finger nucleases, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 targeted cleavage of the DNA induce favorable changes to site-specific locations. Moreover, gene silencing can be used to inhibit the translation of RNA, namely, to regulate gene expression. This methodology is widely used by researchers to investigate genes involved in different disorders. It is a promising tool in biotechnology and in medicine for investigating gene function and diseases. The production of food fish has increased markedly, making fish and seafood globally more popular. Consequently, the incidence of associated problems and disease outbreaks has also increased. A greater investment in new technologies is therefore needed to overcome such problems in this industry. To put it concisely, the modification of genomic DNA and gene silencing can comprehensively influence aquatic animal medicine in the future. On the ethical side, these precise genetic modifications make it more complicated to recognize genetically modified organisms in nature and can cause several side effects through created mutations. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of applications of gene modifications and genome editing in fish medicine.