The multi-level regulation of clownfish metamorphosis by thyroid hormones

Abstract

Most marine organisms have a biphasic life cycle during which a pelagic larva is transformed into a radically different juvenile. In vertebrates the role of thyroid hormones (TH) in triggering this transition is well known, but how the morphological and physiological changes are integrated in a coherent way with the ecological transition remains poorly explored. To gain insight into this question, we performed an integrative analysis of metamorphosis of a marine teleost, the clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris. We reveal how TH coordinate a change in color vision as well as a major metabolic shift in energy production, hence highlighting its central integrative role in regulating this transformation. By manipulating the activity of LXR, a major regulator of metabolism, we also reveal a tight link between metabolic changes and metamorphosis progression. Strikingly, we observed that these regulations are at play in the wild revealing how hormones coordinate energy needs with available resources during life cycle.