Comparative transcriptome analysis of the differentiating gonads in Scatophagus argus

Abstract

The reproductive-related studies, including genetic and genomic such as gonadal transcriptome analyses, have previously focused on the adult spotted scat, with little information on juvenile fish. Transcriptomics is a powerful tool that allows for massive parallel analysis to identify differential expression and the patterns of gene expression holistically at a particular stage in a cell or tissue development. This study presents the first report on gonadal transcriptome analysis of the differentiating (juvenile; 4 months after hatch; stage I ovary and testis) spotted scat gonads. The study revealed potential reproduction and gonadal development-related genes. A total of 25936 genes were identified, of which 16248 were co-expressed, 17893 and 17258 expressed in males and females, respectively, from sequence data of testis I (n = 3) and ovary I (n = 2). A total of 6549 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between males and females. Genes attributable to male gonad development pathway such as dmrt1, gsdf, and amh are significantly expressed in differentiating testes, while female-related genes such as foxl2, cyp19a1a, 42sp50 and sox3 were expressed considerably in differentiating ovaries. In addition, dmrt1/dmrt1y was not expressed in the female (FPKM=0.00), while its paralog dmrt1b was expressed in both males and females. In the male pathway, dmrt1y and gsdf are critical for sex determination and maintenance while foxl2/foxl3 and cyp19a1a are critical in the female development pathway. The current studies provide an insight into the expression patterns of sex and gonadal-related genes in differentiating gonads of spotted scat.

Gonadal transcriptome sequencing reveals sexual dimorphism in expression profiling of sex-related genes in Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus)

“…In addition, the foxl2 can directly bind to the promoter region of the aromatase gene cyp19a1a to promote its expression, or indirectly regulated expression of cyp19a1a through interaction with sf1 (splicing factor 1), resulting in estrogen (E2) production to promote ovarian differentiation ( Wang et al, 2007 ; Zhang et al, 2017 ; Yuan et al, 2021 ). In our present study, folx2 (log2FC = −3.67) and cyp19a1 (log2FC = −6.97) were found to be highly upregulated in the ovary compared with the testis ( Figure 3A ), showing a similar expression pattern to other fish species ( Zhang et al, 2019 ; Mustapha et al, 2022 ). Through a PPI analysis, we found that most of the potential sex-related genes among the DEGs exhibit interaction relationships, suggesting that these genes may play functional roles in sex differentiation and development, potentially being directly or indirectly involved in gonadal development or differentiation.…”

De Novo Assembly, Characterization, and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Mature Male and Female Gonads of Rabbitfish (Siganus oramin) (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

“…According to previous similar studies [15,17,18], a total of six mature S. oramin (about one year old) were obtained before spawning (three males and three females) from the waters of Daya Bay, Guangdong Province, in China in May 2023. The temperature of the environment ranged from 27 to 33 • C, with humidity of about 70-80%.…”

“…Recently, next-generation sequencing technology has rapidly developed, and transcriptome sequencing technology has been increasingly applied in studies related to fish sex and reproduction. Based on transcriptome sequencing technology, many reproduction-related genes have been uncovered in a large number of fish species, such as yellow catfish (Pleteobagrus fulvidraco) [10], spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus) [11], Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) [12], silver sillago (Sillago sihama) [13], spot-fin porcupine fish (Diodon hystrix) [14], spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) [15], mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) [16], army fish (Spinibarbus hollandi) [17], white head mandarin fish (Coreoperca whiteheadi) [18], and so on. Based on these reproduction-related genes, researchers can explore their expression and function more pertinently.…”

Preliminary Trial of Male to Female Sex Reversal by 17β-Estradiol in Combination with Trilostane in Spotted Scat (Scatophagus argus)

“…The reaction conditions were: predenaturation at 94 • C for 300 s; followed by denaturation at 94 • C for 30 s, annealing at 60 • C for 20 s, and extension at 72 • C for 20 s (fluorescence data acquisition) for 40 cycles. Primer efficiencies were verified in our previous study and ranged from 90% to 105% [18]. Melting curves were checked to confirm the specificity of the PCR amplification.…”