Copyright © 2011-2014 GrowCod project All rights reserved.

Jorge M.O. Fernandes

I am an Associate Professor at the University of Nordland, Norway. My research is focused on genomics and molecular biology applied to studying muscle development and innate immunity in teleosts. In particular, I am interested in regulation and evolution of piscidins and defensins in Atlantic cod. I am also fascinated by the phenotypic plasticity of muscle growth in fish and how it is influenced by environmental and nutritional factors. My main running project is an Outstanding Young Investigator award from the Research Council of Norway to investigate the molecular basis of growth inhibition by sexual maturation and its regulation by photoperiod. I work mostly with commercially important species such as Atlantic salmon, Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut and Senegalese sole but I also use zebrafish as a convenient model species.

-PhD in Comparative Immunology (University of St Andrews, UK, 2003).

Thesis title:

 

-BEng in Chemical Engineering (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal, 1997).

 

Academic  degrees

Nagasawa K., Lazado C.C., Sarropoulou E., Giannetto A. & Fernandes J.M.O. Whole transcriptome analyses of Atlantic cod fast muscle throughout a maturation cycle. Marine Biotechnology (for submission by 15th November 2011 as part of the GIA2011 special issue). (in preparation)

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Nagasawa K., Lazado C.C. & Giannetto A. Sex-specific miRNAs in Atlantic cod and their differential expression with sexual maturation. PLoS One (in preparation)

 

Nagasawa K., Presslauer C., Kirtiklis L., Babiak I. & Fernandes J.M.O. Differential expression of oestrogen receptor paralogues in Atlantic cod during a maturation cycle. Molecular Endocrinology (in preparation)

 

Lazado C.C, Kumaratunga H., Nagasawa K. & Fernandes J.M.O. Myosatellite cells of Atlantic cod and the photoperiodic-mediated regulation of their circadian rhythm. Chronobiology International (in preparation)

 

Campos C., Valente L.M.P. & Fernandes J.M.O. Evolution and thermal plasticity of the dnmt3 family in zebrafish. Gene (submitted)

 

Nagasawa K., Giannetto A. & Fernandes J.M.O.  Molecular characterization of the first teleost orthologues of myeloid/lymphoid leukaemia genes and effect of photoperiod on their expression in Atlantic cod. PLoS One (submitted)

 

Bizuayehu T.T., Lanes C.F.C., Furmanek T., Karlsen B.O., Fernandes J.M.O., Johansen S.D. & Babiak I. miRNA differential expression, modifications, and size variation during Atlantic halibut early development. BMC Genomics. (submitted)

 

Ruangsri J., Caipang C., Kiron V. & Fernandes J.M.O. Characterization and differential regulation of two piscidin paralogues and a novel splice variant in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.). Fish Shellfish Immunol. (submitted)

 

Lanes C.F.C, Bizuayehu T.T., Bolla S., Martins C., Fernandes J.M.O., Viswanath K., Bianchini A. & Babiak I. (2011). Biochemical composition and quality of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) eggs and larvae: comparison between farmed and wild broodstock.  Aquaculture. (accepted)

 

Nagasawa K., Lazado C. & Fernandes J.M.O. (2011). Validation of endogenous reference genes for qPCR quantification of muscle transcripts in Atlantic cod subjected to different photoperiod regimes in Aquaculture Vol. 1, ISBN 979-953-307-107-6. Edited by Muchlisin Z.A. InTech (Croatia).

 

Rajan B., Fernandes J.M.O., Caipang C., Kiron V., Rombout J. & Brinchmann M. (2011). Proteome reference map of the skin mucus of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) revealing immune competent molecules. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 31: 224-231.

 

Dhanasiri A., Kiron V., Fernandes J.M.O., Bergh Ø. & Powell M. (2011). Novel application of nitrifying bacterial consortia to ease ammonia toxicity in ornamental fish transport units: trials with zebrafish. J. Appl. Microbiol. 11(2): 278-292.

 

Sarropoulou E. & Fernandes J.M.O. (2011). Comparative genomics in teleost species: Knowledge transfer by linking the genomes of model and non-model fish species. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. D. 6(1):92-102.

 

Noga E.J., Ullal A.J., Corrales J. & Fernandes J.M.O. (2011). Application of antimicrobial polypeptide host defenses to aquaculture: exploitation of downregulation and upregulation responses. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. D. 6(1):44-54.

 

Mommens M., Fernandes J.M.O., Bizuayehu T.T., Bolla S.L., Johnston I.A. & Babiak I. (2010). Maternal mRNAs as molecular markers for egg quality in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.). BMC Res. Notes 3: 138.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Ruangsri J. & Kiron V. (2010). Atlantic cod piscidin and its diversification through positive selection. PLoS One 5(3): e9501.

 

Ruangsri J., Fernandes J.M.O., Brinchmann M. & Kiron V. (2010). Antimicrobial activity in the tissues of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.). Fish Shellfish Immunol. 28: 879-886.

 

Campos C., Valente L.M.P., Borges P., Bizuayehua T. & Fernandes J.M.O. (2010). Dietary lipid levels have a remarkable impact on the expression of growth-related genes in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup). J. Exp. Biol. 213:200-209.

 

Sarropoulou E., Fernandes J.M.O., Mittera K., Magoulas A., Mulero V., Sepulcre P., Figueras A., Novoa B. & Kotoulas G. (2010). Evolution of a multifunctional gene: The warm temperature acclimation protein Wap65 in the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 55:640-649.

 

Smith V.J. & Fernandes J.M.O. (2009). Antimicrobial peptides of the innate immune system in Fish Defenses Vol. 1, ISBN 978-1578083275. Edited by Zaccone G., Marchalonis J.J., Schluter S.F., Meseguer J. & Kapoor B.G. Science Publishers (USA), pp 241–276.

 

Hagen Ø., Fernandes J.M.O., Solberg C. & Johnston I.A. (2009). Expression of growth-related genes during fasting and refeeding in juvenile Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus L. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B 152: 47-53.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Mommens M., Hagen Ø., Babiak I. & Solberg C. (2008). Selection of suitable reference genes for real-time PCR studies of Atlantic halibut. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B 150: 23-32.

 

Smith V.J., Fernandes J.M.O., Kemp G.D. & Hauton C. (2008). Crustins: enigmatic WAP domain-containing antibacterial proteins from crustaceans. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 32: 758-772.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Macqueen D., Lee H.-T. & Johnston I.A. (2008). Genomic, evolutionary and expression analyses of cee, an ancient gene involved in normal growth and development. Genomics 91: 315-325.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., MacKenzie M., Kinghorn J.R. & Johnston I.A. (2007). FoxK1 splice variants show developmental stage-specific plasticity of expression with temperature in the tiger pufferfish. J. Exp. Biol. 210: 3461-3472.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Kinghorn J.R. & Johnston I.A. (2007). Differential expression of multiple alternatively spliced transcripts of MyoD. Gene 391:178-185.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Kinghorn J.R. & Johnston I.A. (2007). Characterization of two paralogous muscleblind-like genes from the tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B 146: 180-186.

 

Bai J., Solberg C., Fernandes J.M.O. & Johnston I.A. (2007). Profiling of maternal and developmental-stage specific mRNA transcripts in Atlantic halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus. Gene 386: 202-210.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., MacKenzie M.G., Wright P., Steele S., Suzuki Y., Kinghorn J.R. & Johnston I.A. (2006). Myogenin in model puffer fish species: comparative genomic analysis and thermal plasticity of expression during early development. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. D 1(1): 35-45.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., MacKenzie M., Elgar G., Suzuki Y., Watabe S., Kinghorn J.R. & Johnston I.A. (2005). A genomic approach to reveal novel genes associated with myotube formation in the model teleost, Takifugu rubripes. Physiol. Genomics 22: 327-338.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Kemp G.D. & Smith V.J. (2004). Two novel muramidases from skin mucosa of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B 138(1): 53-64.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Molle G., Kemp G.D. & Smith V.J. (2004). Isolation and characterisation of oncorhyncin II, a histone H1-derived antimicrobial peptide from skin secretions of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 28: 127-138.

 

Fernandes J.M.O. & Smith V.J. (2004). Partial purification of antibacterial proteinaceous factors from erythrocytes of Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 16: 1-9.

Fernandes J.M.O., Saint N., Kemp G.D. & Smith V.J. (2003). Oncorhyncin III: a potent antimicrobial peptide derived from the non-histone chromosomal protein H6 of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Biochem. J. 373(Pt 2): 621-628.

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Kemp G.D., Molle G. & Smith V.J. (2002). Anti-microbial properties of a histone H2A-like protein from skin secretions of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Biochem. J. 368 (Pt 2): 611-620.

 

Fernandes J.M.O. & Smith V.J. (2002). A novel antimicrobial function for a ribosomal peptide from rainbow trout skin. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 296(1): 167-171.

 

Smith V.J., Fernandes J.M.O., Jones S.J., Kemp G.D. & Tatner M.F. (2000). Antibacterial proteins in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 10 (3): 243-260.

Scientific Presentations

Fernandes J. M. O., “Influence of environmental factors on muscle growth in commercial teleost species”, International Symposium on Muscle Biochemistry, Tokyo, Japan, 27-29 October 2011. (Invited speaker)

 

Fernandes J. M. O., “miRNAs and epigenetic regulation of muscle development in teleosts”, Fish Muscle Growth and Repair: Models Linking Biomedicine and Aquaculture Workshop, West Sussex, UK, 26-29 June 2011. (Invited speaker)

 

Fernandes J.M.O., Ruangsri J., Caipang C.M.A. & Kiron V., “Discovery of multiple piscidin paralogues in atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.”, World Aquaculture 2011, Natal, Brazil, 6-10 June 2011.

 

Fernandes J.MO., “Photoperiod regime, sexual maturation, muscle growth and transcriptomal responses in Atlantic cod”, 9th Congress of International Fish Biology, Barcelona, Spain, 5-7 July 2010. (Invited speaker)

 

Fernandes J.M.O. & Johnston I.A., “Using genomics to identify novel genes associated with muscle growth in Atlantic salmon”, 5th World Fisheries Congress, Yokohama, Japan, 20-24 October 2008. (Invited speaker)

 

 

 

Publications