Whole-Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Gender Dimorphic Expressions of Mrnas and Non-Coding Rnas in Chinese Soft-Shell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

Biology

Lingyun Yu¹  Haigang Chen¹  Lulu Geng¹  Yakun Wang¹  Ruiyang Li¹  Xiaoli Liu¹  Chen Chen¹  Chengqing Wei¹  Xiaoyou Hong¹  Xinping Zhu¹  Junxian Zhu¹  Wei Li¹  Luo Lei¹ 

[1] Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China;

关键词: Pelodiscus sinensis;    whole-transcriptome sequencing;    sex differentiation;    non-coding RNAs;    ceRNA;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biology11060834

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In aquaculture, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is an economically important species with remarkable gender dimorphism in its growth patterns. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon have not been elucidated well. Here, we conducted a whole-transcriptome analysis of the female and male gonads of P. sinensis. Overall, 7833 DE mRNAs, 619 DE lncRNAs, 231 DE circRNAs, and 520 DE miRNAs were identified. Some “star genes” associated with sex differentiation containing dmrt1, sox9, and foxl2 were identified. Additionally, some potential genes linked to sex differentiation, such as bmp2, ran, and sox3, were also isolated in P. sinensis. Functional analysis showed that the DE miRNAs and DE ncRNAs were enriched in the pathways related to sex differentiation, including ovarian steroidogenesis, the hippo signaling pathway, and the calcium signaling pathway. Remarkably, a lncRNA/circRNA–miRNA–mRNA interaction network was constructed, containing the key genes associated with sex differentiation, including fgf9, foxl3, and dmrta2. Collectively, we constructed a gender dimorphism profile of the female and male gonads of P. sinensis, profoundly contributing to the exploration of the major genes and potential ncRNAs involved in the sex differentiation of P. sinensis. More importantly, we highlighted the potential functions of ncRNAs for gene regulation during sex differentiation in P. sinensis as well as in other turtles.

【 授权许可】

Unknown