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Nozu R, Kadota M, Nakamura M, Kuraku S, Bono H. Meta-analysis of gonadal transcriptome provides novel insights into sex change mechanism across protogynous fishes. Genes Cells 2024. [PMID: 39344081 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 08/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Protogyny, being capable of changing from female to male during their lifetime, is prevalent in 20 families of teleosts but is believed to have evolved within specific evolutionary lineages. Therefore, shared regulatory factors governing the sex change process are expected to be conserved across protogynous fishes. However, a comprehensive understanding of this mechanism remains elusive. To identify these factors, we conducted a meta-analysis using gonadal transcriptome data from seven species. We curated data pairs of ovarian tissue and transitional gonad, and employed ratios of expression level as a unified criterion for differential expression, enabling a meta-analysis across species. Our approach revealed that classical sex change-related genes exhibited differential expression levels between the ovary and transitional gonads, consistent with previous reports. These results validate our methodology's robustness. Additionally, we identified novel genes not previously linked to gonadal sex change in fish. Notably, changes in the expression levels of acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase and apolipoprotein Eb, which are involved in cholesterol synthesis and transport, respectively, suggest that the levels of cholesterol, a precursor of steroid hormones crucial for sex change, are decreased upon sex change onset in the gonads. This implies a potential universal influence of cholesterol dynamics on gonadal transformation in protogyny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Nozu
- Laboratory of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
- Laboratory of BioDX, Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Mitsutaka Kadota
- Laboratory for Phyloinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe, Japan
- Laboratory for Developmental Genome System, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe, Japan
| | - Masaru Nakamura
- Okinawa Churashima Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Motobu-cho, Japan
| | - Shigehiro Kuraku
- Molecular Life History Laboratory, Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Japan
| | - Hidemasa Bono
- Laboratory of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
- Laboratory of BioDX, Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Chen R, Zhu H, Zhang X, Li L, Xu J, Tan Z, Su J, Feng K, Chen K, Xu H. Characterization and Functional Analysis of the 17-Beta Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 2 ( hsd17b2) Gene during Sex Reversal in the Ricefield Eel ( Monopterus albus). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9063. [PMID: 39201749 PMCID: PMC11354438 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25169063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2024] [Revised: 08/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (Hsd17b2) enzyme specifically catalyzes the oxidation of the C17 hydroxyl group and efficiently regulates the activities of estrogens and androgens to prevent diseases induced by hormone disorders. However, the functions of the hsd17b2 gene involved in animal sex differentiation are still largely unclear. The ricefield eel (Monopterus albus), a protogynous hermaphroditic fish with a small genome size (2n = 24), is usually used as an ideal model to study the mechanism of sex differentiation in vertebrates. Therefore, in this study, hsd17b2 gene cDNA was cloned and its mRNA expression profiles were determined in the ricefield eel. The cloned cDNA fragment of hsd17b2 was 1230 bp, including an open reading frame of 1107 bp, encoding 368 amino acid residues with conserved catalytic subunits. Moreover, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that hsd17b2 mRNA expressed strongly in the ovaries at early developmental stages, weakly in liver and intestine, and barely in testis and other tissues. In particular, hsd17b2 mRNA expression was found to peak in ovaries of young fish and ovotestis at the early stage, and eventually declined in gonads from the late ovotestis to testis. Likewise, chemical in situ hybridization results indicated that the hsd17b2 mRNA signals were primarily detected in the cytoplasm of oogonia and oocytes at stage I-II, subsequently concentrated in the granulosa cells around the oocytes at stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, but undetectable in mature oocytes and male germ cells. Intriguingly, in ricefield eel ovaries, hsd17b2 mRNA expression could be significantly reduced by 17β-estradiol (E2) or tamoxifen (17β-estradiol inhibitor, E2I) induction at a low concentration (10 ng/mL) and increased by E2I induction at a high concentration (100 ng/mL). On the other hand, both the melatonin (MT) and flutamide (androgen inhibitor, AI) induction could significantly decrease hsd17b2 mRNA expression in the ovary of ricefield eel. This study provides a clue for demonstrating the mechanism of sexual differentiation in fish. The findings of our study imply that the hsd17b2 gene could be a key regulator in sexual differentiation and modulate sex reversal in the ricefield eel and other hermaphroditic fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kaili Chen
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City & College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Sciences of Chongqing, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (R.C.); (H.Z.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (J.X.); (Z.T.); (J.S.); (K.F.)
| | - Hongyan Xu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City & College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Sciences of Chongqing, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (R.C.); (H.Z.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (J.X.); (Z.T.); (J.S.); (K.F.)
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Chen Q, Yang D, Chen M, Xiong J, Huang J, Ding W, Gao K, Lai B, Zheng L, Tang Z, Zhang M, Yan T, He Z. Smad4 and FoxH1 potentially interact to regulate cyp19a1a promoter in the ovary of ricefield eel (Monopterus albus). Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:60. [PMID: 39080808 PMCID: PMC11290265 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00636-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyp19a1a is a key enzyme in the pathway that converts androgens into estrogen and is regulated by TGF-β signaling. Smad4 and FoxH1 are downstream effectors of TGF-β signaling and may play important roles in ovarian development in M. albus. METHODS We investigated the expression pattern of the Smad4 and FoxH1 using qRT‒PCR and immunofluorescence, then tested the changes of smad4 and foxh1 by qRT‒PCR after ovary incubation with FSH in vitro, and analysed the regulation of cyp19a1a transcription by Smad4 and FoxH1 by dual-luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS We found that Smad4 encoded a putative protein of 449 amino acids and harbored the three conserved domains typical of this protein family. Smad4 and foxh1 exhibited similar expression patterns during ovarian development and after FSH incubation, with Pearson's coefficients of 0.873 and 0.63-0.81, respectively. Furthermore, Smad4, FoxH1 and Cyp19a1a colocalized in the granulosa cells and theca cells of ovaries during the mid-to-late vitellogenic stage. Smad4 repressed cyp19a1a activity via SBE1 (- 1372/-1364) and SBE2 (- 415/-407) in the cyp19a1a promoter, whereas mutating SBE1 or SBE2 restored cyp19a1a promoter activity. Co-overexpression of Smad4 and FoxH1 significantly reduced cyp19a1a promoter activity. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insights into the potential functions of transcription factors Smad4 and FoxH1 in ovarian development and the transcriptional regulation mechanism of cyp19a1a in M. albus, which will reveal Smad4/FoxH1-mediated TGF-β signaling in reproduction and the regulation of the cyp19a1a. Aromatase, encoded by cyp19a1a, is involved in ovarian development and plays an important role in the quality of eggs, as well the sex ratio, of the teleost fish, M. albus. The research on the transcriptional regulation of cyp19a1a has contributed to the understanding of its role in ovarian development. In previous study, it was shown that FoxH1 inhibits cyp19a1a transcription. In the present study, Smad4 was confirmed as a cyp19a1a transcriptional repressor and Smad4 may also coordinate with FoxH1 to repress cyp19a1a transcription. At present, we provide a new perspective for the transcriptional regulation of cyp19a1a by transcription factors Smad4 and FoxH1 in teleost fish ovary. In the future, the regulatory networks of Smad4 and FoxH1 will be further studied and the gene editing technology will be applied to screen specific regulatory factors of cyp191a1a gene, so as to alter the female cycle and modulate the sex ratio of the eggs production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Deying Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Mingqiang Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Jinxin Xiong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Junjie Huang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Wenxiang Ding
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Kuo Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Bolin Lai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Li Zheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Ziting Tang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Mingwang Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Taiming Yan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Zhi He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
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Liu S, Han C, Huang J, Li M, Yang J, Li G, Lin H, Li S, Zhang Y. Genome-wide identification, evolution and expression of TGF-β signaling pathway members in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi). Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126949. [PMID: 37722635 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway regulate diverse cellular biological processes in embryonic and tissue development. We took mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) as the research object to identify all members of the TGF-β signaling pathway, measure their expression pattern in the key period post hatching, and further explore their possible role in the process of sex regulation. Herein, we identified eighty-three TGF-β signaling pathway members and located them on chromosomes based on the genome of mandarin fish. TGF-β signaling pathway members were highly conserved since each TGF-β subfamily clustered with orthologs from other species. Transcriptome analysis, qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization demonstrated that most mandarin fish TGF-β signaling pathway members presented stage-specific and/or sex-dimorphic expression during gonadal development, and different members of the TGF-β signaling pathway participated in different stages of gonadal development. Taken together, our results provide new insight into the role of TGF-β signaling pathway members in the sex regulation of mandarin fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266373, China
| | - Chong Han
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jingjun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Meihui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Jiayu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Guifeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Haoran Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266373, China
| | - Shuisheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266373, China.
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Yamamoto M, Kanazawa N, Nomura M, Horie Y, Okamura H. Bisphenol A alters sexual dimorphism and gene expression in marine medaka Oryzias melastigma. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:25691-25700. [PMID: 36346516 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23863-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that is present in freshwater and marine environments. However, conclusive evidence for the toxicity of chronic BPA exposure to marine fishes remains lacking. Therefore, we investigated the influence of BPA on male marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). BPA exposure induced formation of testis-ova at 2610 µg/L, and male-type anal fins became more female type in a concentration-dependent manner. Some males with female-type anal fins had normal testes, indicating that anal fin shape is more sensitive to BPA. Gonadal soma-derived factor (gsdf) expression decreased after BPA exposure in the 746 and 2610 µg/L exposure groups, although the changes were not statistically significant. Additionally, liver vitellogenin (vtg) expression increased in a dose-dependent manner and was significantly higher in all exposure groups. vtg and gsdf are likely to be useful biomarkers for the impact of estrogenic endocrine disrupters in O. melastigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsushi Yamamoto
- Division of Ocean Safety Systems Science, Faculty of Maritime Sciences, Kobe University, 5-1-1 Fukaeminami, Higashinada, Kobe, 658-0022, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Kanazawa
- Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, 241-438 Kaidobata-Nishi, Nakano Shimoshinjo, Akita, 010-0195, Japan
| | - Miho Nomura
- Graduate School of Maritime Science, Kobe University, Fukaeminami-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Horie
- Research Center for Inland Sea (KURCIS), Kobe University, 5-1-1 Fukaeminami, Higashinada, Kobe, 658-0022, Japan.
| | - Hideo Okamura
- Research Center for Inland Sea (KURCIS), Kobe University, 5-1-1 Fukaeminami, Higashinada, Kobe, 658-0022, Japan
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Fan M, Yang W, Zhang W, Zhang L. The ontogenic gonadal transcriptomes provide insights into sex change in the ricefield eel Monopterus albus. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:56. [PMID: 37170354 PMCID: PMC10127409 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00155-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ricefield eel is a freshwater protogynous hermaphrodite fish and has become an important aquaculture species in China. The sex change of ricefield eel is impeding its aquaculture practice, particularly the large-scale artificial breeding. Many studies including transcriptomes of mixed gonadal samples from different individuals have been aimed to elucidate mechanisms underlying the sex change. However, the key physiological factors involved in the initiation of sex change remain to be identified. RESULTS: The present study performed transcriptomic analysis on gonadal samples of different sexual stages obtained through biopsy from the same fish undergoing sex change. A total of 539,764,816 high-quality reads were generated from twelve cDNA libraries of gonadal tissues at female (F), early intersexual (EI), mid-intersexual (MI), and late intersexual (LI) stages of three individual sex-changing fish. Pairwise comparisons between EI and F, MI and EI, and LI and MI identified 886, 319, and 10,767 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively. Realtime quantitative PCR analysis of 12 representative DEGs showed similar expression profiles to those inferred from transcriptome data, suggesting the reliability of RNA-seq data for gene expression analysis. The expression of apoeb, csl2, and enpp2 was dramatically increased and peaked at EI while that of cyp19a1a, wnt4a, fgf16, and foxl2a significantly downregulated from F to EI and remained at very low levels during subsequent development until LI, which suggests that apoeb, csl2, enpp2, cyp19a1a, wnt4a, fgf16, and foxl2a may be closely associated with the initiation of sex change of ricefield eels. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, results of the present study confirmed that the down-regulation of female-related genes, such as cyp19a1a, wnt4a, fgf16, and foxl2a, is important for the sex change of ricefield eels. More importantly, some novel genes, including apoeb, csl2, and enpp2, were shown to be expressed with peak values at EI, which are potentially involved in the initiation of sex change. The present transcriptomic data may provide an important research resource for further unraveling the mechanisms underlying the sex change and testicular development in ricefield eels as well as other teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Fan
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Yang
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Present address: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Weimin Zhang
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lihong Zhang
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Feng K, Su J, Wu Z, Su S, Yao W. Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone, and Its Possible Role in Gonadal Differentiation in Rice Field eel Monopterus albus. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:1691. [PMID: 35804589 PMCID: PMC9264984 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rice field eel (Monopterus albus), a protogynous hermaphrodite fish, is a good model for the research of sex determination and gonadal differentiation in teleosts. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA sequence of trh, which encoded a predicted protein with 270 amino acids. Trh mainly expressed in the brain, followed by the ovary, testis, muscle and pituitary, and had low levels in other peripheral tissues. During natural sex reversal, trh mRNA expression levels exhibited a significant increase at the late intersexual stage in the hypothalamus. In the gonad, trh mRNA expression levels showed a trend of increase followed by decrease, and only increased significantly at the middle intersexual stage. No matter static incubation or intraperitoneal (IP) injection, TRH had no significant effect on trh and thyroid-stimulating hormone βsubunit (tshβ) mRNA expression levels, and serum T3, T4 and TRH release. After static incubation of ovarian fragments by TRH, the expression of gonadal soma derived factor (gsdf) was up-regulated significantly at both the doses of 10 and 100 nM. IP injection of TRH stimulated the expression of gsdf, and inhibited the expression of ovarian aromatase gene (cyp19a1a), accompanied by the increase of serum 11-KT levels. The results indicated that TRH may play a novel role in gonadal differentiation by the regulation of gonadal differentiation-related gene expression and sex steroid hormone secretion in rice field eel.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Weizhi Yao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (K.F.); (J.S.); (Z.W.); (S.S.)
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8
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Tian HF, Hu Q, Lu HY, Li Z. Chromosome-Scale, Haplotype-Resolved Genome Assembly of Non-Sex-Reversal Females of Swamp Eel Using High-Fidelity Long Reads and Hi-C Data. Front Genet 2022; 13:903185. [PMID: 35669182 PMCID: PMC9165713 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.903185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is an excellent model species for studying sex change and chromosome evolution. M. albus is also widely reared in East Asia and South-East Asia because of its great nutritional value. The low fecundity of this species (about 300 eggs per fish) greatly hinders fries production and breeding programs. Interestingly, about 3–5% of the eels could remain as females for 3 years and lay more than 3,000 eggs per fish, which are referred to as non-sex-reversal (NSR) females. Here, we presented a new chromosome-level genome assembly of such NSR females using Illumina, HiFi, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The new assembly (Mal.V2_NSR) is 838.39 Mb in length, and the N50 of the contigs is 49.8 Mb. Compared with the previous assembly obtained using the continuous long-read sequencing technology (Mal.V1_CLR), we found a remarkable increase of continuity in the new assembly Mal.V2_NSR with a 20-times longer contig N50. Chromosomes 2 and 12 were assembled into a single contig, respectively. Meanwhile, two highly contiguous haplotype assemblies were also obtained, with contig N50 being 14.54 and 12.13 Mb, respectively. BUSCO and Merqury analyses indicate completeness and high accuracy of these three assemblies. A comparative genomic analysis revealed substantial structural variations (SVs) between Mal.V2_NSR and Mal.V1_CLR and two phased haplotype assemblies, as well as whole chromosome fusion events when compared with the zig-zag eel. Additionally, our newly obtained assembly provides a genomic view of sex-related genes and a complete landscape of the MHC genes. Therefore, these high-quality genome assemblies would provide great help for future breeding works of the swamp eel, and it is a valuable new reference for genetic and genomic studies of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Feng Tian
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiaomu Hu
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Yi Lu
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhong Li
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Zhong Li,
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Bock SL, Chow MI, Forsgren KL, Lema SC. Widespread alterations to hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis signaling underlie high temperature reproductive inhibition in the eurythermal sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus). Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 537:111447. [PMID: 34469772 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Fish experiencing abnormally high or prolonged elevations in temperature can exhibit impaired reproduction, even for species adapted to warm water environments. Such high temperature inhibition of reproduction has been linked to diminished gonadal steroidogenesis, but the mechanisms whereby hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis signaling is impacted by high temperature are not fully understood. Here, we characterized differences in HPG status in adult sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), a eurythermal salt marsh and estuarine species of eastern North America, exposed for 14 d to temperatures of 27 °C or 37 °C. Males and females at 37 °C had lower gonadosomatic index (GSI) values compared to fish at 27 °C, and females at 37 °C had fewer spawning capable eggs and lower circulating 17β-estradiol (E2). Gene transcripts encoding gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-3 (gnrh3) were higher in relative abundance in the hypothalamus of both sexes at 37 °C. While pituitary mRNAs for the β-subunits of follicle-stimulating hormone (fshβ) and luteinizing hormone (lhβ) were lowered only in males at 37 °C, Fsh and Lh receptor mRNA levels in the gonads were at lower relative levels in both the ovary and testis of fish at 37 °C. Females at 37 °C also showed reduced ovarian mRNA levels for steroid acute regulatory protein (star), P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (cyp11a1), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βhsd), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (hsd17β3), and ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a). Females at the higher 37 °C temperature also had a lower liver expression of mRNAs encoding estrogen receptor α (esr1) and several vitellogenin and choriogenin genes, but elevated mRNA levels for hepatic sex hormone-binding globulin (shbg). Our results substantiate prior findings that exposure of fish to high temperature can inhibit gonadal steroidogenesis and oogenesis, and point to declines in reproductive performance emerging from alterations at several levels of HPG axis signaling including increased hypothalamic Gnih expression, depressed gonadal steroidogenesis, and reduced egg yolk and egg envelope protein production in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Bock
- Biological Sciences Department, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Michelle I Chow
- Biological Sciences Department, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Kristy L Forsgren
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Sean C Lema
- Biological Sciences Department, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA.
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10
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Hsu CW, Chung BC. Evolution, Expression, and Function of Gonadal Somatic Cell-Derived Factor. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:684352. [PMID: 34307362 PMCID: PMC8292791 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.684352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish gonads develop in very diverse ways different from mammalian gonads. This diversity is contributed by species-specific factors. Gonadal somatic cell-derived factor (Gsdf) is one such factor. The gsdf gene exists mostly in teleosts and is absent in many tetrapods, probably as a result of two gene losses during evolution. The gsdf transcript is expressed mainly in gonadal somatic cells, including Sertoli cell in testis and granulosa cells in ovary; however, these gonadal somatic cells can surround many types of germ cells at different developmental stages depending on the fish species. The function of gsdf is also variable. It is involved in germ cell proliferation, testicular formation, ovarian development and even male sex determination. Here, we summarize the common and diverse expression, regulation and functions of gsdf among different fish species with aspect of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Wei Hsu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bon-Chu Chung
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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11
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Yuan Z, Shen X, Yan H, Jiang J, Liu B, Zhang L, Wu Y, Liu Y, Liu Q. Effects of the Thyroid Endocrine System on Gonadal Sex Ratios and Sex-Related Gene Expression in the Pufferfish Takifugu rubripes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:674954. [PMID: 34025585 PMCID: PMC8139168 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.674954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
To examine the effect and mechanism of thyroid hormone on gonadal sex differentiation, Takifugu rubripes larvae were treated with goitrogen (methimazole, MET, 1000 g/g), and thyroxine (T4, 2nM) from 25 to 80 days after hatching (dah). Gonadal histology and sex ratios of fish were then determined at 80 dah. MET treatment induced masculinization, but T4 treatment did not induce feminization in T. rubripes larvae. Transcriptomic analysis of gonads at 80 dah was then conducted. Among the large number of differentially expressed genes between the groups, the expression of foxl2, cyp19a1a, and dmrt1 was altered. The expression of foxl2, cyp19a1a, dmrt1 and gsdf at 25, 40, 55 days after treatment (dat) was further analyzed by qPCR. MET treatment suppressed the expression of foxl2 and cyp19a1a, and induced the expression of dmrt1 in genetic females (p < 0.05). Additionally, T4 treatment induced an increase in the expression of cyp19a1a in genetic XY gonads only at 25 dat. However, the increase in cyp19a1a expression did not continue to 40 and 55 dat. This may explain why feminization of larvae was not found in the T4-treated group. Thus, the present study provides the first evidence that MET treatment causes masculinization in teleost fish. The effects of MET-induced masculinization in T. rubripes may act primarily via suppression of the expression of foxl2 and cyp19a1a, and stimulation of the expression of dmrt1. Moreover, the effects of higher concentrations of T4 or different concentrations of T3, on sex differentiation require further testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yuan
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
| | - Xufang Shen
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
- College of Life Science, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Hongwei Yan
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
- *Correspondence: Hongwei Yan, ; Qi Liu,
| | - Jieming Jiang
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
| | - Binwei Liu
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
- College of Marine Science and Environment Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
| | - Yumeng Wu
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
- College of Marine Science and Environment Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Ministry of Education, Dalian, China
- College of Marine Science and Environment Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
- *Correspondence: Hongwei Yan, ; Qi Liu,
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12
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Nagahama Y, Chakraborty T, Paul-Prasanth B, Ohta K, Nakamura M. Sex determination, gonadal sex differentiation, and plasticity in vertebrate species. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1237-1308. [PMID: 33180655 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00044.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A diverse array of sex determination (SD) mechanisms, encompassing environmental to genetic, have been found to exist among vertebrates, covering a spectrum from fixed SD mechanisms (mammals) to functional sex change in fishes (sequential hermaphroditic fishes). A major landmark in vertebrate SD was the discovery of the SRY gene in 1990. Since that time, many attempts to clone an SRY ortholog from nonmammalian vertebrates remained unsuccessful, until 2002, when DMY/dmrt1by was discovered as the SD gene of a small fish, medaka. Surprisingly, however, DMY/dmrt1by was found in only 2 species among more than 20 species of medaka, suggesting a large diversity of SD genes among vertebrates. Considerable progress has been made over the last 3 decades, such that it is now possible to formulate reasonable paradigms of how SD and gonadal sex differentiation may work in some model vertebrate species. This review outlines our current understanding of vertebrate SD and gonadal sex differentiation, with a focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. An impressive number of genes and factors have been discovered that play important roles in testicular and ovarian differentiation. An antagonism between the male and female pathway genes exists in gonads during both sex differentiation and, surprisingly, even as adults, suggesting that, in addition to sex-changing fishes, gonochoristic vertebrates including mice maintain some degree of gonadal sexual plasticity into adulthood. Importantly, a review of various SD mechanisms among vertebrates suggests that this is the ideal biological event that can make us understand the evolutionary conundrums underlying speciation and species diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Nagahama
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Tapas Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan.,Karatsu Satellite of Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Karatsu, Japan
| | - Bindhu Paul-Prasanth
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Kohei Ohta
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan
| | - Masaru Nakamura
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.,Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Okinawa, Japan
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13
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Metabonomic Insights into the Sperm Activation Mechanisms in Ricefield Eel ( Monopterus albus). Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111259. [PMID: 33114541 PMCID: PMC7692440 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In fish, sperm motility activation is one of the most essential procedures for fertilization. Previous studies have mainly focused on the external environmental effects and intracellular signals in sperm activation; however, little is known about the metabolic process of sperm motility activation in fish. In the present study, using ricefield eel (Monopterus albus) sperm as a model, metabonomics was used to analyze the metabolic mechanism of the sperm motility activation in fish. Firstly, 529 metabolites were identified in the sperm of ricefield eel, which were clustered into the organic acids, amino acids, nucleotides, benzene, and carbohydrates, respectively. Among them, the most abundant metabolites in sperm were L-phenylalanine, DL-leucine, L-leucine, lysolecithin choline 18:0, L-tryptophan, adenine, hypoxanthine, 7-Methylguanine, shikimic acid, and L-tyrosine. Secondly, compared to pre-activated sperm, the level of S-sulfo-L-cysteine and L-asparagine were both increased in the post-activated sperm. Ninety-two metabolites were decreased in the post-activated sperm, including quinic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, 7,8-dihydro L-biopterin, citric acid, glycylphenylalanine, and dihydrotachysterol (DHT). Finally, basing on the pathway analysis, we found that the changed metabolites in sperm motility activation were mainly clustered into energy metabolism and anti-oxidative stress. Fish sperm motility activation would be accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy, which might damage the genetic material of sperm. Thus, the anti-oxidative stress function is a critical process to maintain the normal physiological function of sperm.
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14
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Li S, Lin G, Fang W, Huang P, Gao D, Huang J, Xie J, Lu J. Gonadal Transcriptome Analysis of Sex-Related Genes in the Protandrous Yellowfin Seabream ( Acanthopagrus latus). Front Genet 2020; 11:709. [PMID: 32765585 PMCID: PMC7378800 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus), a protandrous hermaphroditic fish, is a good model for studying the mechanism of sex reversal. However, limited knowledge is known about the genetic information related to reproduction and sex differentiation in this species. Here, we performed de novo transcriptome sequencing analysis of the testis, ovotestis, and ovary to identify sex-related genes in yellowfin seabream. The results assembled 71,765 unigenes in which 16,126 and 17,560 unigenes were differentially expressed in the ovotestis and ovary compared to the testis, respectively. The most differentially expressed gene (DEG)-enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and GO pathways were closely associated with the synthesis of sex steroid hormones. Functional analyses identified 55 important sex-related DEGs, including 32 testis-biased DEGs (dmrt1, amh, and sox9, etc.), 20 ovary-biased DEGs (cyp19a, foxl2, and wnt4, etc.), and 3 ovotestis-biased DEGs (lhb, dmrt2, and foxh1). Furthermore, the testis-specific expression of dmrt1 and the brain-pituitary-ovary axis expression of foxl2 were characterized, suggesting that they might play important roles in sex differentiation in yellowfin seabream. Our present work provided an important molecular basis for elucidating the mechanisms underlying sexual transition and reproductional regulation in yellowfin seabream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizhu Li
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Genmei Lin
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Wenyu Fang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Peilin Huang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Dong Gao
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jing Huang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jingui Xie
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jianguo Lu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, China
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15
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The transcriptome of the newt Cynops orientalis provides new insights into evolution and function of sexual gene networks in sarcopterygians. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5445. [PMID: 32214214 PMCID: PMC7096497 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62408-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibians evolved in the Devonian period about 400 Mya and represent a transition step in tetrapod evolution. Among amphibians, high-throughput sequencing data are very limited for Caudata, due to their largest genome sizes among terrestrial vertebrates. In this paper we present the transcriptome from the fire bellied newt Cynops orientalis. Data here presented display a high level of completeness, comparable to the fully sequenced genomes available from other amphibians. Moreover, this work focused on genes involved in gametogenesis and sexual development. Surprisingly, the gsdf gene was identified for the first time in a tetrapod species, so far known only from bony fish and basal sarcopterygians. Our analysis failed to isolate fgf24 and foxl3, supporting the possible loss of both genes in the common ancestor of Rhipidistians. In Cynops, the expression analysis of genes described to be sex-related in vertebrates singled out an expected functional role for some genes, while others displayed an unforeseen behavior, confirming the high variability of the sex-related pathway in vertebrates.
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16
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Kleppe L, Edvardsen RB, Furmanek T, Andersson E, Skaftnesmo KO, Thyri Segafredo F, Wargelius A. Transcriptomic analysis of dead end knockout testis reveals germ cell and gonadal somatic factors in Atlantic salmon. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:99. [PMID: 32000659 PMCID: PMC6993523 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6513-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sustainability challenges are currently hampering an increase in salmon production. Using sterile salmon can solve problems with precocious puberty and genetic introgression from farmed escapees to wild populations. Recently sterile salmon was produced by knocking out the germ cell-specific dead end (dnd). Several approaches may be applied to inhibit Dnd function, including gene knockout, knockdown or immunization. Since it is challenging to develop a successful treatment against a gene product already existing in the body, alternative targets are being explored. Germ cells are surrounded by, and dependent on, gonadal somatic cells. Targeting genes essential for the survival of gonadal somatic cells may be good alternative targets for sterility treatments. Our aim was to identify and characterize novel germ cell and gonadal somatic factors in Atlantic salmon. Results We have for the first time analysed RNA-sequencing data from germ cell-free (GCF)/dnd knockout and wild type (WT) salmon testis and searched for genes preferentially expressed in either germ cells or gonadal somatic cells. To exclude genes with extra-gonadal expression, our dataset was merged with available multi-tissue transcriptome data. We identified 389 gonad specific genes, of which 194 were preferentially expressed within germ cells, and 11 were confined to gonadal somatic cells. Interestingly, 5 of the 11 gonadal somatic transcripts represented genes encoding secreted TGF-β factors; gsdf, inha, nodal and two bmp6-like genes, all representative vaccine targets. Of these, gsdf and inha had the highest transcript levels. Expression of gsdf and inha was further confirmed to be gonad specific, and their spatial expression was restricted to granulosa and Sertoli cells of the ovary and testis, respectively. Finally, we show that inha expression increases with puberty in both ovary and testis tissue, while gsdf expression does not change or decreases during puberty in ovary and testis tissue, respectively. Conclusions This study contributes with transcriptome data on salmon testis tissue with and without germ cells. We provide a list of novel and known germ cell- and gonad somatic specific transcripts, and show that the expression of two highly active gonadal somatic secreted TGF-β factors, gsdf and inha, are located within granulosa and Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lene Kleppe
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway.
| | | | - Tomasz Furmanek
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Eva Andersson
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kai Ove Skaftnesmo
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Anna Wargelius
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
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17
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Wu X, Zhang Y, Xu S, Chang Y, Ye Y, Guo A, Kang Y, Guo H, Xu H, Chen L, Zhao X, Guan G. Loss of Gsdf leads to a dysregulation of Igf2bp3-mediated oocyte development in medaka. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 277:122-129. [PMID: 30951723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf) is a unique TGF-β factor essential for both ovarian and testicular development in Hd-rR medaka (Oryzias latipes). However, the downstream genes regulated by Gsdf signaling remain unknown. Using a high-throughput proteomic approach, we identified a significant increase in the expression of the RNA-binding protein Igf2bp3 in gsdf-deficient ovaries. We verified this difference in transcription and protein expression against normal gonads using real-time PCR quantification and Western blotting. The genomic structure of igf2bp3 and the syntenic flanking segments are highly conserved across fish and mammals. igf2bp3 expression was correlated with oocyte development, which is consistent with the expression of the igf2bp3 ortholog Vg1-RBP/Vera in Xenopus. In contrast to the normal ovary, cysts of H3K27me3- and Igf2bp3-positive germ cells were dramatically increased in the one-month-old gsdf-deficient ovary, indicating that the gsdf depletion led to a dysregulation of Igf2bp3-mediated oocyte development. Our results provide novel insights into the Gsdf-Igf2bp3 signaling mechanisms that underlie the fundamental process of gametogenesis; these mechanisms may be well conserved across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Wu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yingqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Shumei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yuyang Chang
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yang Ye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Yanjiang Road 107, Guangdong 510120, China
| | - Anning Guo
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yi Kang
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Haiyan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Hongyan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 51-380, China
| | - Liangbiao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xiaomiao Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Yanjiang Road 107, Guangdong 510120, China.
| | - Guijun Guan
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
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18
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Jiang DN, Mustapha UF, Shi HJ, Huang YQ, Si-Tu JX, Wang M, Deng SP, Chen HP, Tian CX, Zhu CH, Li MH, Li GL. Expression and transcriptional regulation of gsdf in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 233:35-45. [PMID: 30980893 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf) is critical for testicular differentiation and early germ cell development in teleosts. The spotted scat (Scatophagus argus), with a stable XX-XY sex-determination system and the candidate sex determination gene dmrt1, provides a good model for understanding the mechanism of sex determination and differentiation in teleosts. In this study, we analyzed spotted scat gsdf tissue distribution and gene expression patterns in gonads, as well as further analysis of transcriptional regulation. Tissue distribution analysis showed that gsdf was only expressed in testis and ovary. Real-time PCR showed that both gsdf and dmrt1 were expressed significantly higher in testes at different phases (phase III, IV and V) compared to ovaries at phase II, III and IV, while gsdf was expressed significantly higher in phase II ovaries than those of phase III and IV. Western blot analysis also showed that Gsdf was more highly expressed in the testis than ovary. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that Gsdf was expressed in Sertoli cells surrounding spermatogonia in the testis, while it was expressed in the somatic cells surrounding the oogonia of the ovary. Approximately 2.7 kb of the 5' upstream region of gsdf was cloned from the spotted scat genomic DNA and in silico promoter analysis revealed the putative transcription factor binding sites of Dmrt1 and Sf1. The luciferase reporter assay, using the human embryonic kidney cells, demonstrated that Dmrt1 activated gsdf expression in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of Sf1 in spotted scat. These results suggest that Gsdf could play a role in regulating the development of spermatogonia and oogonia, and also participate in male sex differentiation by acting as a downstream gene of Dmrt1 in spotted scat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Neng Jiang
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Umar Farouk Mustapha
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Hong-Juan Shi
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Yuan-Qing Huang
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Jia-Xin Si-Tu
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Mei Wang
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Si-Ping Deng
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Hua-Pu Chen
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Chang-Xu Tian
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Chun-Hua Zhu
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Ming-Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Guang-Li Li
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.
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Yang Y, Liu Q, Xiao Y, Xu S, Wang X, Yang J, Song Z, You F, Li J. High temperature increases the gsdf expression in masculinization of genetically female Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 274:17-25. [PMID: 30594590 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In teleosts, sex is plastic and is influenced by environmental factors. Elevated temperatures have masculinizing effects on the phenotypic sex of certain sensitive species. In this study, we reared genetic XX Japanese flounder at a high temperature (27.5 ± 0.5 °C) and obtained a population of sex-reversal XX males (male ratio, 95.24%). We comparatively analyzed the dynamic characteristics of germ cells and gsdf (gonadal soma-derived factor) expression during sexual differentiation for the experimental (27.5 ± 0.5 °C) and control (18 °C ± 0.5 °C) groups. The results revealed that the germ cell proliferation inhibited and gsdf expression up-regulated in the experimental group, and the gsdf mRNA and proteins expressed in somatic cells that had direct contact with germline stem cells (with Nanos 2 protein expression) including spermatogonia and oogonia by ISH (in situ hybridization) and IHC (immunohistochemistry). In addition, we also overexpressed the gsdf in XX flounders, and the germ cell number of XX flounders bearing gsdf gene significantly decreased and sometimes disappeared completely, which was consistent with the results from high-temperature induction. Therefore, based on all the results, we speculated that the high expression of gsdf might inhibit germ cell proliferation during sex differentiation, and eventually cause sex reversal in the high-temperature induced masculinization of XX Japanese flounder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Yongshuang Xiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Shihong Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xueying Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jingkun Yang
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Zongcheng Song
- Weihai Shenghang Aquatic Product Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Weihai 264200, China
| | - Feng You
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China.
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20
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The autosomal Gsdf gene plays a role in male gonad development in Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Sci Rep 2018; 8:17716. [PMID: 30531973 PMCID: PMC6286346 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35553-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gsdf is a key gene for testicular differentiation in teleost. However, little is known about the function of Gsdf in Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). In this study, we obtained the full-length Gsdf gene (CS-Gsdf), and functional characterization revealed its potential participation during germ cell differentiation in testes. CS-Gsdf transcription was predominantly detected in gonads, while the levels in testes were significantly higher than those in ovaries. During the different developmental stages in male gonads, the mRNA level was significantly upregulated at 86 dph, and a peak appeared at 120 dph; then, the level decreased at 1 and 2 yph. In situ hybridization revealed that CS-Gsdf mRNA was mainly localized in the Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, and spermatids in mature testes. After CS-Gsdf knockdown in the male testes cell line by RNA interference, a series of sex-related genes was influenced, including several sex differentiation genes, CS-Wnt4a, CS-Cyp19a1a and CS-Star. Based on these data, we speculated that CS-Gsdf may play a positive role in germ differentiation and proliferation via influencing genes related to sex differentiation.
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21
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Biscotti MA, Adolfi MC, Barucca M, Forconi M, Pallavicini A, Gerdol M, Canapa A, Schartl M. A Comparative View on Sex Differentiation and Gametogenesis Genes in Lungfish and Coelacanths. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:1430-1444. [PMID: 29850809 PMCID: PMC6007259 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadal sex differentiation and reproduction are the keys to the perpetuation of favorable gene combinations and positively selected traits. In vertebrates, several gonad development features that differentiate tetrapods and fishes are likely to be, at least in part, related to the water-to-land transition. The collection of information from basal sarcopterygians, coelacanths, and lungfishes, is crucial to improve our understanding of the molecular evolution of pathways involved in reproductive functions, since these organisms are generally regarded as “living fossils” and as the direct ancestors of tetrapods. Here, we report for the first time the characterization of >50 genes related to sex differentiation and gametogenesis in Latimeria menadoensis and Protopterus annectens. Although the expression profiles of most genes is consistent with the intermediate position of basal sarcopterygians between actinopterygian fish and tetrapods, their phylogenetic placement and presence/absence patterns often reveal a closer affinity to the tetrapod orthologs. On the other hand, particular genes, for example, the male gonad factor gsdf (Gonadal Soma-Derived Factor), provide examples of ancestral traits shared with actinopterygians, which disappeared in the tetrapod lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Assunta Biscotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Marco Barucca
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Mariko Forconi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Marco Gerdol
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Italy
| | - Adriana Canapa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Wuerzburg, Germany.,Hagler Institute of Advanced Study and Department of Biology,Texa A&M University, USA
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22
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Yan H, Shen X, Cui X, Wu Y, Wang L, Zhang L, Liu Q, Jiang Y. Identification of genes involved in gonadal sex differentiation and the dimorphic expression pattern in Takifugu rubripes gonad at the early stage of sex differentiation. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2018; 44:1275-1290. [PMID: 29777416 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-018-0519-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Yan
- College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xufang Shen
- College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xin Cui
- College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yumeng Wu
- College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Lianshun Wang
- College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- College of Marine Science and Environment Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Qi Liu
- College of Marine Science and Environment Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China.
| | - Yusheng Jiang
- College of Fisheries and life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Heishijiao Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116023, China
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23
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Yan YL, Desvignes T, Bremiller R, Wilson C, Dillon D, High S, Draper B, Buck CL, Postlethwait J. Gonadal soma controls ovarian follicle proliferation through Gsdf in zebrafish. Dev Dyn 2017; 246:925-945. [PMID: 28856758 PMCID: PMC5761338 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant signaling between germ cells and somatic cells can lead to reproductive disease and depends on diffusible signals, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGFB) -family proteins. The TGFB-family protein Gsdf (gonadal soma derived factor) controls sex determination in some fish and is a candidate for mediating germ cell/soma signaling. RESULTS Zebrafish expressed gsdf in somatic cells of bipotential gonads and expression continued in ovarian granulosa cells and testicular Sertoli cells. Homozygous gsdf knockout mutants delayed leaving the bipotential gonad state, but then became a male or a female. Mutant females ovulated a few oocytes, then became sterile, accumulating immature follicles. Female mutants stored excess lipid and down-regulated aromatase, gata4, insulin receptor, estrogen receptor, and genes for lipid metabolism, vitellogenin, and steroid biosynthesis. Mutant females contained less estrogen and more androgen than wild-types. Mutant males were fertile. Genomic analysis suggests that Gsdf, Bmp15, and Gdf9, originated as paralogs in vertebrate genome duplication events. CONCLUSIONS In zebrafish, gsdf regulates ovarian follicle maturation and expression of genes for steroid biosynthesis, obesity, diabetes, and female fertility, leading to ovarian and extra-ovarian phenotypes that mimic human polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), suggesting a role for a related TGFB signaling molecule in the etiology of PCOS. Developmental Dynamics 246:925-945, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Lin Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | | | - Ruth Bremiller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | | | - Danielle Dillon
- Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
| | - Samantha High
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Bruce Draper
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Charles Loren Buck
- Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
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Guan G, Sun K, Zhang X, Zhao X, Li M, Yan Y, Wang Y, Chen J, Yi M, Hong Y. Developmental tracing of oocyte development in gonadal soma-derived factor deficiency medaka (Oryzias latipes) using a transgenic approach. Mech Dev 2017; 143:53-61. [PMID: 28093265 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 12/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal soma-derived factor (gsdf) is reported to be a male initiator in medaka based on loss- and gain- of function via targeted disruption, or transgenic over-expression. However, little is known about how gsdf promotes undifferentiated gonad entry into male pathways or prevents entry into the female pathway. We utilized a visible folliculogenesis system with a reporter cassette of dual-color fluorescence expression to identify difference between oocyte development from wildtype and gsdf deficiency medaka. A red fluorescent protein (RFP) is driven by a major component of the synaptonemal complex (SYCP3) promoter which enables RFP expression solely in oocytes after the onset of meiosis, and a histone 2b-EGFP fused protein (H2BEGFP) under the control of an elongation factor (EF1α) promoter, wildly used as a mitotic reporter of cell cycle. This mitosis-meiosis visible switch revealed that early meiotic oocytes present in gsdf deficiency were more than those in wildtype ovaries, corresponding to the decrease of inhibin expression detected by real-time qPCR analysis, suggesting gsdf is tightly involved in the process of medaka oocyte development at early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guijun Guan
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
| | - Kaiqing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore
| | - Xiaomiao Zhao
- Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Yanjiang Road 107, Guangdong 510120, China
| | - Mingyou Li
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore
| | - Yunzhi Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore
| | - Jianbin Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore
| | - Meisheng Yi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhan Hong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore
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