Zhang Qian, Fu Yangtao, Zhang Yanyan, Liu Hourong
Fujian Key Laboratory On Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.
Department of Customs Inspection and Quarantine, Shanghai Customs University, Shanghai, 201204, China.
Genes Genomics. 2024 Dec;46(12):1363-1374. doi: 10.1007/s13258-024-01579-7. Epub 2024 Oct 14.
The Wnt gene family plays pivotal roles in a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis, and embryonic development. Identifying the Wnt signaling pathway in abalone could provide a basis for elucidating growth and development mechanisms and improving quality.
To identify the number, protein physicochemical properties, gene structure, phylogenetic analysis, and expression profiles of the Wnt gene family in abalone.
A comprehensive genome-wide analysis was performed to identify the Wnt gene family in the genomes of three abalone species (Haliotis discus hannai, H. rubra, and H. rufescens).
Ten single-copy Wnt genes were identified in each abalone species, suggesting that the number of Wnt genes was relatively conserved in Haliotis. Eight Wnt gene subfamilies, including Wnt1, Wnt4, Wnt5, Wnt6, Wnt7, Wnt10, Wnt16, and WntA, are present in all three species. Each abalone species contains two species-specific subfamilies (Wnt9 and Wnt11 in H. discus hannai, Wnt2 and Wnt11 in H. rubra, and Wnt2 and Wnt9 in H. rufescens), reflecting polymorphisms of the Wnt genes in Haliotis. Interestingly, gastropods are characterised by the loss of Wnt8, suggesting a potential evolutionary specificity in gastropods. As expected, Wnt3 is absent in all protostomes, including the abalone. In addition, spatio-temporal expression profiling revealed differential expression levels of the Wnt genes at different developmental stages and in different tissues of H. discus hannai. HdWnt5 and HdWntA might participate in several processes during larval development stages, including germ layer formation and body axis elongation. HdWnt5 may be involved in eye and tentacle development. HdWnt10 may be related to muscle development, and HdWnt6 may be involved in shell formation in abalone.
To our knowledge, the results of this study, which is the first genome-wide investigation of the Wnt gene family in abalone, lay the groundwork for future research on the evolution and function of the Wnt gene family in Gastropoda.
Wnt基因家族在多种生物学过程中发挥关键作用，包括细胞增殖与分化、细胞凋亡以及胚胎发育。鉴定鲍鱼中的Wnt信号通路可为阐明其生长发育机制及提高品质提供依据。
鉴定鲍鱼中Wnt基因家族的数量、蛋白质理化性质、基因结构、系统发育分析及表达谱。
进行全面的全基因组分析，以鉴定三种鲍鱼（皱纹盘鲍、红鲍和红边鲍）基因组中的Wnt基因家族。
在每种鲍鱼中鉴定出10个单拷贝Wnt基因，表明Wnt基因数量在鲍属中相对保守。所有三种物种中均存在8个Wnt基因亚家族，包括Wnt1、Wnt4、Wnt5、Wnt6、Wnt7、Wnt10、Wnt16和WntA。每种鲍鱼包含两个物种特异性亚家族（皱纹盘鲍中的Wnt9和Wnt11、红鲍中的Wnt2和Wnt11、红边鲍中的Wnt2和Wnt9），反映了鲍属中Wnt基因的多态性。有趣的是，腹足纲动物的特征是Wnt8缺失，表明腹足纲动物具有潜在的进化特异性。正如预期的那样，包括鲍鱼在内的所有原口动物中均不存在Wnt3。此外，时空表达谱揭示了皱纹盘鲍不同发育阶段和不同组织中Wnt基因的差异表达水平。HdWnt5和HdWntA可能参与幼虫发育阶段的多个过程，包括胚层形成和体轴延长。HdWnt5可能参与眼睛和触手发育。HdWnt10可能与肌肉发育有关，HdWnt6可能参与鲍鱼的贝壳形成。
据我们所知，本研究结果是对鲍鱼Wnt基因家族的首次全基因组研究，为未来腹足纲动物中Wnt基因家族的进化和功能研究奠定了基础。
