Differential gene expression analysis related to sperm storage in spermathecas of Amphioctopus fangsiao.

Sperm storage in the female body is an important strategy in animal reproductive behavior. Amphioctopus fangsiao is an economically important cephalopod that has a sperm storage period of up to seven months. There are few studies concerning the mechanism of sperm storage in A. fangsiao. In this study, we performed transcriptome gene expression profiling of the oviductal glands at different phases (presence and absence of sperm storage). In total, 7943 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) comprising 4737 upregulated and 3206 downregulated genes were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were used to search for sperm storage-related genes. A protein interaction network was constructed to examine the interactions between genes. Nineteen genes associated with immunity, apoptosis, and autophagy were obtained and verified by qRT-PCR. This is the first comprehensive analysis of sperm storage-related genes in A. fangsiao. The results provide basic insights into the complex sperm storage mechanism of A. fangsiao.