GENOME WIDE IDENTIFICATION, PHYLOGENY, AND EXPRESSION OF BONE MORPHOGENETIC PROTEIN GENES IN BIGHEAD CARP (HYPOPHTHALMICHTHYS NOBILIS)

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) play a crucial role in regulating the skeletal development of fish, significant influencing external morphology, functional exercise and even survival rates in aquaculture breeding. Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) is a species of particular interest due to the importance of its head and body shape. In this study, we identified a total of 18 BMP from the bighead carp genome, which are unevenly distributed on 13 chromosomes. BMP were divided into five sub-families based on phylogenetic analysis, revealing a high level of conservation among BMP. The expression of Hyn-bmps was investigated in a population exhibiting extremely fast/slow growth differences. Most Hyn-bmps revealed a positive correlation with growth, suggesting their potential positive regulatory effects on the growth and head development of bighead carp. These results not only indicate the significant role of the BMP genes family in the growth and development of bighead carp, but also provide valuable insights for molecular breeding efforts targeting this species.