Abstract

Hyriopsis cumingii is an important species for freshwater pearl cultivation in China. In terms of pearl production, males have larger pearls and better glossiness than females, but there are few reports focusing on the sex of H. cumingii. In this study, six mRNA and six microRNA (miRNA) libraries were prepared from ovaries and testes. Additionally, 28,502 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 32 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified. Compared with testis, 14,360 mRNAs and 20 miRNAs were up-regulated in ovary, 14,142 mRNAs and 12 miRNAs were down-regulated. In DEGs, the known genes related to sex determinism and/or differentiation were also identified, such as DMRT1, SOX9, SF1 for males, FOXL2 for females, and other potentially significant candidate genes. Three sex-related pathways have also been identified, which are Wnt, Notch, and TGF-beta. In 32 DEMs, the three miRNAs (miR-9-5p, miR-92, miR-184) were paid more attention, they predicted 28 target genes, which may also be candidates for sex-related miRNAs and genes. Differential miRNAs target genes analysis reveals the pathway associated with oocyte meiosis and spermatogenesis. Overall, the findings of the study provide significant insights to enhance our understanding of sex differentiation and/or sex determination mechanisms for H. cumingii.

Highlights

  • Of pmarg-FOXL2 and pmarg-FEM1-like for sex inversion and sex differentiation, which provided a powerful resource for the molecular mechanism of reproductive strategy in hermaphroditic ­mollusks[8]

  • These results may suggest that genes such as FOXL2, DMRT, SOX can play a role during sex regulation in many species, indicating that their functions are very conservative

  • FOXL2, BMP2, ZGLP1, CYP17A1, DACH2, DPN, SRD5A1 were highly expressed in the ovary, and DMRT1, SF1, SMC5, SOX9 were highly expressed in the testis

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Summary

Introduction

Of pmarg-FOXL2 and pmarg-FEM1-like for sex inversion and sex differentiation, which provided a powerful resource for the molecular mechanism of reproductive strategy in hermaphroditic ­mollusks[8]. The sex-biased miRNAs (such as miR-9, miR-21, miR-30a, miR-96, miR-200b, miR-212 and miR-7977) were obtained by a comprehensive analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the gonads of tilapia at the early stage of sexual differentiation. Their target genes include FOXL2, AMH, STAR1, SF1 and DMRT1, which are key molecules involved in vertebrate sex ­differentiation[9]. Three significant miRNAs (aca-miR-30b-5p, ame-miR-263b and cfa-miR-125a) were screened from Macrobrachium nipponense They and their predicted target genes may have a strong impact on sex differentiation/determination. This study provides basic information for understanding sex differentiation and sex determining mRNAs and miRNAs of H. cumingii

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