Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform distinct functions in various biological processes in mammals, including sex differentiation. However, the roles of lncRNAs in other vertebrates, especially in the Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), remain to be clarified. In this study, we performed genome-wide analysis of the lncRNA expression profiles in gonad tissues and screened numerous sex-specific lncRNAs in the Chinese soft-shell turtle. Of the 363,310,650 clean reads obtained, 5,994 sequences were typed as lncRNAs, of which 4,463 were novel. A selection of sex-specific lncRNAs (♀ 932, ♂ 449) from female ovaries and male testis were shown to act on target genes in cis and in trans, and most were involved in gonad differentiation based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Furthermore, interactions among the differentially expressed lncRNA-mRNAs and protein coding genes were identified by construction of correlation networks. Overall, our systematic analysis of lncRNA expression profiles in gonad tissues revealed numerous sex-specific lncRNAs in P. sinensis. Thereby, these findings provide new insights into the function of lncRNAs in sex differentiation and highlight a group of candidate lncRNAs for future studies.
Highlights
The mechanisms underlying sex determination are an important focus of biological research[1,2,3]
For genome-wide analysis of Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) of P. sinensis, gonad tissues collected at 30 days post-hatching were subjected to RNA-seq using the Illumina HiSeq. 4000 platform
363,310,650 clean reads were produced and 354,585,240 high quality (HQ) clean reads were obtained by removing low quality reads and reads mapped with rRNA
Summary
The mechanisms underlying sex determination are an important focus of biological research[1,2,3]. The Chinese soft-shell turtle (P. sinensis) is a member of the turtle family (Reptilia; Testudines) and is an important aquaculture species in southern China This species has heteromorphic ZW-type micro-sex chromosomes[31,33,34] and, as with most vertebrates, sex determination controls the development of testes or ovaries from the bipotential gonad[35]. A series of sex-differentiation-related genes were discovered in Chinese soft-shell turtle, the potential involvement of lncRNAs in sex determination of this species remains to be clarified. Chinese soft-shell turtles have a sex-dependent dimorphic growth pattern, with males exhibiting more rapid growth and larger body size, with a thicker and wider calipash, and lower levels of fat[33] This pattern of sex-related differences in growth rate is observed in many species of farmed teleost fish, such as yellow catfish, and strategies for sex control have been used to produce all-male populations[36,37]. This information may provide a better understanding of the sex differentiation processes in Chinese soft-shell turtle and highlight the functions of lncRNAs in this process in all reptiles
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
