Integrated yeast one-hybrid and molecular docking reveal the binding specificity of FTZ-F1 to GnRHR and Dmrta2 promoters in the scallop, Chlamys farreri

The scallop (Chlamys farreri) is an important aquaculture species, and understanding its reproductive regulation is a major research focus. Previous studies have suggested that the orphan nuclear receptor fushi tarazu factor 1 (FTZF1), a member of the nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A (NR5A), may play a role in regulating gonadal development and differentiation in scallops. In this study, we demonstrate through yeast one-hybrid assays that FTZ-F1 directly binds to the promoters of the gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), which is involved in steroidogenesis, and DMRT-like family A2 (Dmrta2), which is involved in sex determination. Molecular docking and sequence alignment identified 11 key amino acids within the DNA-binding domain （DBD） essential for promoter binding, 10 of which resided in the conserved DBD region. These findings provide molecular insights into reproductive regulation in bivalves and establish a foundation for further research on sex differentiation and steroidogenesis.