Sex determination factor, a novel male-linked gene in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: Molecular characterization, expression patterns and effects of gene knockdown

IF 1.9 3区生物学 Q4 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B-Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Pub Date : 2025-01-06 DOI:10.1016/j.cbpb.2025.111071

Weihan Meng , Lingnan Kong , Abudula Abulizi , Jingjing Cong , Zhihui Sun , Yaqing Chang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Apostichopus japonicus is a highly significant marine aquaculture species. Research findings have indicated that male sea cucumbers demonstrate a more rapid growth rate compared to females, underscoring the potential advantages of establishing an all-male population. In this study, we identified a specific protein-coding gene (ORFan) within a 4565 bp male fragment and named it sex determination factor (sdf). The sdf transcript exhibited ubiquitous expression in various adult male tissues, along with dynamic expression patterns in the testis across different developmental stages. Notably, knockdown of the sdf gene through immersion of embryos in its specific vivo-morpholino oligomers (vivo-MO) resulted in significant changes in the expression levels of several sex-related genes including piwi1, vasa, foxl2, and DNMT3. Additionally, a transcriptomic analysis showed that sdf knockdown resulted in significant alterations in multiple biological processes encompassing various sex-related gene ontology terms such as male gonad development, ovarian follicle development, and steroidogenesis. These results provide a molecular foundation for comprehending ORFans in sea cucumbers while offering a valuable method for gene knockdown studies in echinoderms.

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海参性别决定因子——一个新的雄性连锁基因：分子特征、表达模式和基因敲除的影响。

Apostichopus japonicus是一种非常重要的海洋养殖物种。研究结果表明，与雌性相比，雄性海参的生长速度更快，这强调了建立全雄性种群的潜在优势。在这项研究中，我们在4565 bp的男性片段中发现了一个特异性的蛋白质编码基因（ORFan），并将其命名为性别决定因子（sdf）。sdf转录本在各种成年男性组织中普遍表达，并在不同发育阶段的睾丸中呈现动态表达模式。值得注意的是，通过将胚胎浸泡在sdf基因的特异性体内形态寡聚物（vivo-MO）中来敲低sdf基因，可导致piwi1、vasa、foxl2和DNMT3等多个性别相关基因的表达水平发生显著变化。此外，转录组学分析表明，sdf敲低导致多种生物过程的显著改变，包括各种与性别相关的基因本体论术语，如男性性腺发育、卵巢卵泡发育和类固醇生成。这些结果为深入了解海参中的orfan提供了分子基础，同时也为棘皮动物的基因敲低研究提供了有价值的方法。

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来源期刊

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B-Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 生物-动物学

CiteScore

4.60

自引率

4.50%

发文量

审稿时长

22 days

期刊介绍： Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology (CBP) publishes papers in comparative, environmental and evolutionary physiology. Part B: Biochemical and Molecular Biology (CBPB), focuses on biochemical physiology, primarily bioenergetics/energy metabolism, cell biology, cellular stress responses, enzymology, intermediary metabolism, macromolecular structure and function, gene regulation, evolutionary genetics. Most studies focus on biochemical or molecular analyses that have clear ramifications for physiological processes.