Yan Hongwei, Shen Xufang, Cui Xin, Wu Yumeng, Wang Lianshun, Zhang Lei, Liu Qi, Jiang Yusheng
College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China.
College of Marine Science and Environment Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China.
Fish Physiol Biochem. 2018 Oct;44(5):1275-1290. doi: 10.1007/s10695-018-0519-8. Epub 2018 May 18.
Quantifying the expression of mRNAs in the gonads at the critical stage of molecular sex differentiation stage might help to clarify the regulatory network during early sex differentiation and provide new information on the role of sex-related genes in gonadal function. In this study, transcriptomic analysis of sex-related genes expression profiles in fugu gonads at 60 and 90 days after hatching (dah) was conducted firstly, and a total of 112,504,991 clean reads, encompassing 28.35 Gb of sequences were retrieved. Twenty-three thousand eight hundred ten genes were found to be expressed in juvenile fugu gonads, and we mainly focused on the differentially expressed genes that have the potential to be involved in the gonadal sex differentiation. For 60-dah juveniles, we identified 1014 genes that were upregulated in the ovary and 1570 that were upregulated in the testis. For 90-dah juveniles, we identified 1287 genes that were upregulated in the ovary and 1500 that were upregulated in the testis. The dimorphic expression patterns of 15 genes in gonads at 30 and 40 dah were further investigate using qPCR. Cyp11b and star were expressed at higher levels in XY than in XX, while cyp11a1 and cyp19a1a were expressed at higher levels in XX than in XY at 30 dah. At 40 dah, the levels of gsdf, dmrt1, dmrt3, cyp11c1, star, and hsd3b expression were higher in XY, while the levels of foxl2, cyp19a1a, wnt9b, and foxD4 expression were higher in XX. Sox9, cyp11a1, cyp17a1, cyp17a2, and nr5a2 were expressed at similar levels in XX and XY at 40 dah. This is the first report of gonadal transcriptome of fugu at early sex differentiation stage, and our results provide an archive for further study on molecular mechanism underlying sex differentiation in this species.
在分子性别分化的关键阶段对性腺中mRNA的表达进行定量，可能有助于阐明早期性别分化过程中的调控网络，并为性别相关基因在性腺功能中的作用提供新信息。在本研究中，首先对孵化后60天和90天（dah）的河豚性腺中性别相关基因的表达谱进行了转录组分析，共获得112,504,991条clean reads，涵盖28.35Gb的序列。发现23,810个基因在幼年河豚性腺中表达，我们主要关注那些可能参与性腺性别分化的差异表达基因。对于60dah的幼鱼，我们鉴定出1014个在卵巢中上调的基因和1570个在睾丸中上调的基因。对于90dah的幼鱼，我们鉴定出1287个在卵巢中上调的基因和1500个在睾丸中上调的基因。使用qPCR进一步研究了30和40dah时15个基因在性腺中的双态表达模式。在30dah时，Cyp11b和star在XY中的表达水平高于XX，而cyp11a1和cyp19a1a在XX中的表达水平高于XY。在40dah时，gsdf、dmrt1、dmrt3、cyp11c1、star和hsd3b在XY中的表达水平较高，而foxl2、cyp19a1a、wnt9b和foxD4在XX中的表达水平较高。Sox9、cyp11a1、cyp17a1、cyp17a2和nr5a2在40dah时在XX和XY中的表达水平相似。这是关于河豚早期性别分化阶段性腺转录组的首次报道，我们的结果为进一步研究该物种性别分化的分子机制提供了资料。
