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Yu M, Wang F, Li M, Wang Y, Gao X, Zhang H, Liu Z, Zhou Z, Zhao D, Zhang M, Wang L, Jiang H, Qiao Z. Characteristics of the Vasa Gene in Silurus asotus and Its Expression Response to Letrozole Treatment. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:756. [PMID: 38927693 PMCID: PMC11202796 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060756] [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: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification and expression of germ cells are important for studying sex-related mechanisms in fish. The vasa gene, encoding an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, is recognized as a molecular marker of germ cells and plays a crucial role in germ cell development. Silurus asotus, an important freshwater economic fish species in China, shows significant sex dimorphism with the female growing faster than the male. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these sex differences especially involving in the vasa gene in this fish remain poorly understood. In this work, the vasa gene sequence of S. asotus (named as Savasa) was obtained through RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE), and its expression in embryos and tissues was analyzed using qRT-PCR and an in situ hybridization method. Letrozole (LT) treatment on the larvae fish was also conducted to investigate its influence on the gene. The results revealed that the open reading frame (ORF) of Savasa was 1989 bp, encoding 662 amino acids. The SaVasa protein contains 10 conserved domains unique to the DEAD-box protein family, showing the highest sequence identity of 95.92% with that of Silurus meridionalis. In embryos, Savasa is highly expressed from the two-cell stage to the blastula stage in early embryos, with a gradually decreasing trend from the gastrula stage to the heart-beating stage. Furthermore, Savasa was initially detected at the end of the cleavage furrow during the two-cell stage, later condensing into four symmetrical cell clusters with embryonic development. At the gastrula stage, Savasa-positive cells increased and began to migrate towards the dorsal side of the embryo. In tissues, Savasa is predominantly expressed in the ovaries, with almost no or lower expression in other detected tissues. Moreover, Savasa was expressed in phase I-V oocytes in the ovaries, as well as in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in the testis, implying a specific expression pattern of germ cells. In addition, LT significantly upregulated the expression of Savasa in a concentration-dependent manner during the key gonadal differentiation period of the fish. Notably, at 120 dph after LT treatment, Savasa expression was the lowest in the testis and ovary of the high concentration group. Collectively, findings from gene structure, protein sequence, phylogenetic analysis, RNA expression patterns, and response to LT suggest that Savasa is maternally inherited with conserved features, serving as a potential marker gene for germ cells in S.asotus, and might participate in LT-induced early embryonic development and gonadal development processes of the fish. This would provide a basis for further research on the application of germ cell markers and the molecular mechanisms of sex differences in S. asotus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yu
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Fangyuan Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Muzi Li
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Yuan Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Xiangzhe Gao
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Hanhan Zhang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Zhenzhu Liu
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Zhicheng Zhou
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Daoquan Zhao
- Yiluo River Aquatic Biology Field Scientific Observation and Research Station in the Yellow River Basin of Henan Province, Lushi, Sanmenxia City 472200, China;
| | - Meng Zhang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Hongxia Jiang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Zhigang Qiao
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
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de Alba G, Cámara-Ruiz M, Esteban MÁ, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ, López-Olmeda JF. Combined effects of rearing temperature regime (thermocycle vs. constant temperature) during early development and thermal treatment on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) sex differentiation. J Therm Biol 2023; 115:103596. [PMID: 37327616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In nature, water temperature experiences daily variations known as thermocycles. Temperature is the main environmental factor that influences sex determination in most teleost fish. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of rearing temperature (thermocycle (TC) vs. constant (CTE)) on development and a posterior thermal shock throughout the period of sex differentiation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Embryos and larvae were kept under two temperature regimes: TC of 31 °C:25 °C day:night vs. CTE of 28 °C from 0 to 11 dpf. After this period, the larvae from each group were subjected to either heat treatment (HT, 36 °C for 12 days) or kept under the same rearing temperatures until 23 dpf (Control, C). Then all the groups remained at constant temperature until 270 dpf, when blood and gonads were collected. Larval samples were used to examine the expression of genes related to male (amh, ara, sox9a, dmrt1a) and female (cyp19a1a, foxl2, era) sexual differentiation. In juveniles, sex was characterized by histology, the gonadal expression of the genes involved in the sex steroid synthesis was analyzed by qPCR, and plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels were analyzed by ELISA. In larvae, daily TCs increased the survival rate against HT and up-regulated the expression of ovarian differentiation genes. In juveniles, TC + C induced a higher proportion of females and higher cyp19a1a expression compared to CTE + C. HT induced changes in the CTE group by up-regulating testicular differentiation genes and down-regulating female promoting genes, which did not occur in the TC group. Juveniles from TC + C group presented a higher proportion of females with higher E2 and cyp19a1a than CTE + HT. Fish from the CTE + HT group showed a higher percentage of males with highest T and amh. These findings indicate that daily TCs during larval development promote ovarian differentiation and diminish the masculinizing effects of HT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo de Alba
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence ''Campus Mare Nostrum'', University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Cámara-Ruiz
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence ''Campus Mare Nostrum'', University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Esteban
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence ''Campus Mare Nostrum'', University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Sánchez-Vázquez
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence ''Campus Mare Nostrum'', University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - José Fernando López-Olmeda
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence ''Campus Mare Nostrum'', University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
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Yang Y, Ma Y, Li M, Zhu H, Shi P, An R. STUB1 directs FOXQ1-mediated transactivation of Ldha gene and facilitates lactate production in mouse Sertoli cells. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:565-579. [PMID: 36575252 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03705-x] [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: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Sertoli cells (SCs) preferentially use glucose to convert to lactate. As an energy source, lactate is essential for survival of developed germ cells (GCs) due to its anti-apoptotic effect. Failure to maintain lactate metabolism homeostasis leads to infertility or germ cell apoptosis. Several Sertoli cell-expressed genes, such as Foxq1 and Gata4, have been identified as critical regulators for lactate synthesis, but the pathways that potentially modulate their expression remain ill defined. Although recent work from our collaborators pointed to an involvement of STIP1 homology and U-box-containing protein 1 (STUB1) in the modulation of Sertoli cell response to GCs-derived IL-1α, a true physiological function of STUB1 signaling in SCs has not been demonstrated. We therefore conditionally ablated Stub1 in SCs using Amh-Cre. Stub1 knockout males exhibited impaired fertility due to oligozoospermia and asthenospermia, possibly caused by lactate deficiency. Furthermore, by means of chromatin immunoprecipitation, in vivo ubiquitination, and luciferase reporter assays, we showed that STUB1 directed forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1)-mediated transactivation of the lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha) gene via K63-linked non-proteolytic polyubiquitination, thus facilitating lactate production in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-stimulated SCs. In agreement, overexpression of LDHA by lentivirus infection effectively rescued the lactate production in TM4Stub1-/- cells. Our results collectively identify STUB1-mediated transactivation of FOXQ1 signaling as a post-translationally modified transcriptional regulatory network underlying nursery function in SCs, which may nutritionally contribute to Sertoli cell dysfunction of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an NO.4 Hospital), 710004, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Ma
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Mao Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongli Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an NO.4 Hospital), 710004, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Panpan Shi
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an NO.4 Hospital), 710004, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruifang An
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
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Li H, Zhu Q, Chen R, Liu M, Xu D. Identification and Characterization of Dimorphic Expression of Sex-Related Genes in Rock Bream, a Fish With Multiple Sex Chromosomes. Front Genet 2021; 12:791179. [PMID: 34912379 PMCID: PMC8668390 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.791179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) is a typical fish with a unique multiple sex chromosome system. In this study, we investigated the gene expression profiling in the gonads and brains of both males and females using RNA-Seq to identify sex-related genes and pathways. In accordance with the dimorphic expression profiles, combined with Gene ontology and KEGG enrichment analyses, a number of potential genes and pathways associated with sex determination were obtained from transcriptional analysis, especially some sex-biased genes and pathways. Next, we selected 18 candidate genes and analyzed their expression in different tissues and developmental stages. We found that the expression levels of Amh, Dmrt1, Sox9, Dmrtb1, and Nanos2 were significantly higher in the testis than those in the ovary or other tissues, whereas the expression levels of ZP4, Bouncer, RNF208, FoxH1, and TOB were significantly higher in the ovary than those in the testis. Furthermore, the expression levels of these genes in different developmental stages of gonads also showed sexually dimorphic patterns, suggesting that they might play important roles during gonadal development. These genes are useful markers for investigating sex determination and differentiation in rock bream. The findings of this study can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and differentiation in fish with multiple sex chromosome systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Li
- School of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China.,Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
| | - Qihui Zhu
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China.,Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Ruiyi Chen
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China.,Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Mingtao Liu
- School of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China.,Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
| | - Dongdong Xu
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China.,Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
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