Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2019 Jun;21(3):320-334. doi: 10.1007/s10126-019-09882-1. Epub 2019 Mar 5.
Although the sexual dimorphism in terms of gonadal development and gametogenesis of mud crab has been described, the internal regulating mechanism and sex differentiation process remain unclear. A comparative gonadal miRNA transcriptomic study was conducted to identify miRNAs that are differentially expressed between testes and ovaries, and potentially uncover miRNAs that might be involved in sex differentiation and gonadal maturation mechanisms of mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain). A total of 10 known miRNAs and 130 novel miRNAs were identified, among which 54 were differentially expressed. Target gene prediction revealed a significant enrichment in 30 KEGG pathways, including some reproduction-related pathways, e.g. phosphatidylinositol signalling system and inositol phosphate metabolism pathways. Further analysis on six differentially expressed known miRNAs, six differentially expressed novel miRNAs and their reproduction-related putative target genes shows that both miRNAs and putative target genes showed stage-specific expression during gonadal maturation, suggesting their potential regulatory roles in sex differentiation and reproductive development. This study reveals the sex-biased miRNA profile and establishes a solid foundation for understanding the sex differentiation and gonadal maturation mechanisms of S. paramamosain.
尽管已经描述了泥蟹在性腺发育和配子发生方面的性别二态性，但内部调节机制和性别分化过程仍不清楚。进行了一项比较性腺 miRNA 转录组学研究，以鉴定在睾丸和卵巢之间表达差异的 miRNAs，并可能发现可能参与泥蟹（锯缘青蟹）性别分化和性腺成熟机制的 miRNAs。总共鉴定出 10 个已知 miRNA 和 130 个新 miRNA，其中 54 个表达差异。靶基因预测显示在 30 个 KEGG 途径中显著富集，包括一些与生殖相关的途径，如磷脂酰肌醇信号系统和肌醇磷酸盐代谢途径。对 6 个表达差异的已知 miRNA、6 个表达差异的新 miRNA 及其与生殖相关的假定靶基因进行进一步分析表明，miRNAs 和假定靶基因在性腺成熟过程中表现出阶段特异性表达，表明它们在性别分化和生殖发育中可能具有调节作用。本研究揭示了性别偏向的 miRNA 图谱，为理解锯缘青蟹的性别分化和性腺成熟机制奠定了坚实的基础。
