Evodia Moses Mkulo , Lukman Iddrisu , Salifu Ibrahim , Jiansheng Huang , Linjuan Wang , Anna Zheng , Happiness Moses Mwemi , Jin Minxuan , Huijuan Zhang , Baogui Tang , Qian Ma , Kwaku Amoah , Bei Wang , Zhongliang Wang
{"title":"Gonadal sex differentiation in Eleutheronema tetradactylum: Histological features and transcriptomic insights from mature gonads","authors":"Evodia Moses Mkulo , Lukman Iddrisu , Salifu Ibrahim , Jiansheng Huang , Linjuan Wang , Anna Zheng , Happiness Moses Mwemi , Jin Minxuan , Huijuan Zhang , Baogui Tang , Qian Ma , Kwaku Amoah , Bei Wang , Zhongliang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cbd.2025.101586","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plasticity in teleosts is a fascinating evolutionary strategy enables species to acclimate to environmental changes. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie gonadal differentiation and reversal remain incompletely understood. The four-finger threadfin (<em>Eleutheronema tetradactylum</em>), a protandrous hermaphrodite belonging to the Polynemidae family, serves as an excellent model for studying genes and molecules involved in gonadal transformation. In this study, we used de novo transcriptome sequencing of the male and female gonads to identify key regulatory genes and pathways involved in sex differentiation. A total of 12,034 DEGs were identified, with 7567 upregulated and 4467 downregulated between testes and ovaries. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses identified steroid hormone biosynthesis as the key pathway in gonadal differentiation. Several novel sex biased genes DEGs were identified, including testis-biased genes <em>nefl</em>, <em>rfesd</em>, and <em>gpatch8</em>, and ovary-biased genes <em>ift57</em>, <em>hoxb5a</em>, <em>naxd</em>, and <em>tgfbr3</em>. furthermore, clusters of testis-specific genes, including <em>dnah7</em>, <em>tspan1</em>, <em>hspa8</em>, <em>dnah3</em>, <em>dnah6</em>, <em>dnah17</em>, <em>myo10</em>, <em>kcnq3</em>, <em>dnaaf11</em>, <em>rtase</em>, <em>dmrt1</em>, <em>smcl1b</em>, <em>slc44a5b</em>, <em>tex11</em>,<em>cyp51</em> and ovary-biased genes, such as <em>cd9</em>, <em>zp2</em>, <em>ccnp</em>, <em>cldnd</em>, <em>znf622</em>, <em>tc1a</em>, <em>hsd17b7</em>, foxl2, <em>sox3</em>, and <em>sox19a</em> were identified, emphasizing their crucial roles in gonadal differentiation. This in-depth transcriptomic study sheds light on the molecular foundations of reproductive adaptability, offering novel insights for disciplines such as aquaculture, conservation and evolutionary biology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55235,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology D-Genomics & Proteomics","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 101586"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology D-Genomics & Proteomics","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744117X25001753","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Plasticity in teleosts is a fascinating evolutionary strategy enables species to acclimate to environmental changes. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie gonadal differentiation and reversal remain incompletely understood. The four-finger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum), a protandrous hermaphrodite belonging to the Polynemidae family, serves as an excellent model for studying genes and molecules involved in gonadal transformation. In this study, we used de novo transcriptome sequencing of the male and female gonads to identify key regulatory genes and pathways involved in sex differentiation. A total of 12,034 DEGs were identified, with 7567 upregulated and 4467 downregulated between testes and ovaries. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses identified steroid hormone biosynthesis as the key pathway in gonadal differentiation. Several novel sex biased genes DEGs were identified, including testis-biased genes nefl, rfesd, and gpatch8, and ovary-biased genes ift57, hoxb5a, naxd, and tgfbr3. furthermore, clusters of testis-specific genes, including dnah7, tspan1, hspa8, dnah3, dnah6, dnah17, myo10, kcnq3, dnaaf11, rtase, dmrt1, smcl1b, slc44a5b, tex11,cyp51 and ovary-biased genes, such as cd9, zp2, ccnp, cldnd, znf622, tc1a, hsd17b7, foxl2, sox3, and sox19a were identified, emphasizing their crucial roles in gonadal differentiation. This in-depth transcriptomic study sheds light on the molecular foundations of reproductive adaptability, offering novel insights for disciplines such as aquaculture, conservation and evolutionary biology.
期刊介绍:
Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology (CBP) publishes papers in comparative, environmental and evolutionary physiology.
Part D: Genomics and Proteomics (CBPD), focuses on “omics” approaches to physiology, including comparative and functional genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics. Most studies employ “omics” and/or system biology to test specific hypotheses about molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying physiological responses to the environment. We encourage papers that address fundamental questions in comparative physiology and biochemistry rather than studies with a focus that is purely technical, methodological or descriptive in nature.