Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 7807

Special Issue Editors

Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
Interests: aquaculture; breeding; transcriptome; genes; SNP
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
BGI, Shenzhen, China
Interests: aquatic animals; sex-determination; reproduction; genes; omics; genetic breeding; genetic improvement
Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, China
Interests: aquatic animals; sex-determination; reproduction; genes; omics; genetic breeding; genetic improvement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sex determination and reproduction are complex mechanisms in aquatic species. Many aquatic animals show significant growth differences between male and female individuals. Thus, single-sex production may have dramatic economic benefits. In addition, the mechanism of reproduction is also important to analyse. Gonad maturation in some aquatic animals is a long process, while gonad maturation in some aquatic animals only needs 1-2 months. Both rapid and slow gonad development have negative effects on sustainable development. Slow gonad development will extend the breeding cycle, while rapid gonad development will result in inbreeding between the newborn animals, leading to a short life span, small size and low disease resistance. Steroid hormones have been proven to have dramatic effects on the process of sex determination and reproduction in aquatic animals. Thus, the mechanisms of sex determination and reproduction urgently need to be fully understood in order to establish techniques to produce single-sex populations and regulate gonad development in aquatic animals.

Dr. Shubo Jin
Dr. Chao Bian 
Dr. Ying Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • aquatic animals
  • sex determination
  • reproduction
  • genes
  • omics
  • genetic breeding
  • genetic improvement
  • steroid hormone

Published Papers (6 papers)

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16 pages, 2619 KiB  
Article
Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing for Identifying Sexual-Dimorphism-Related Transcriptomes and Genes in the Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)
by Tong Zhou, Guobin Chen, Jizeng Cao, Jiahui Wang, Guiwei Zou and Hongwei Liang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3704; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233704 - 29 Nov 2023
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Abstract
The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), an economically important aquatic species in China, displays considerable sexual dimorphism: the male P. sinensis is larger and, thus, more popular in the market. In this study, we obtained the full-length (FL) transcriptome data of [...] Read more.
The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), an economically important aquatic species in China, displays considerable sexual dimorphism: the male P. sinensis is larger and, thus, more popular in the market. In this study, we obtained the full-length (FL) transcriptome data of P. sinensis by using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio)’s isoform sequencing and analyzed the transcriptome structure. In total, 1,536,849 high-quality FL transcripts were obtained through single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, which were then corrected using Illumina sequencing data. Next, 89,666 nonredundant FL transcripts were generated after mapping to the reference genome of P. sinensis; 291 fusion genes and 17,366 novel isoforms were successfully annotated using data from the nonredundant protein sequence database (NR), eukaryotic orthology groups (KOG), the Gene Ontology (GO) project, and the KEGG Orthology (KO) database. Additionally, 19,324 alternative polyadenylation sites, 101,625 alternative splicing events, 12,392 long noncoding RNAs, and 5916 transcription factors were identified. Smad4, Wif1, and 17-β-hsd were identified as female-biased genes, while Nkd2 and Prp18 held a higher expression level in males than females. In summary, we found differences between male and female P. sinensis individuals in AS, lncRNA, genes, and transcripts, which relate to the Wnt pathway, oocyte meiosis, and the TGF-β pathway. Female-biased genes such as Smad4, Wif1, and 17-β-hsd and male-biased genes such as Nkd2 and Prp18 played important roles in the sex determination of P. sinensis. FL transcripts are a precious resource for characterizing the transcriptome of P. sinensis, laying the foundation for further research on the sex-determination mechanisms of P. sinensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals)
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14 pages, 7298 KiB  
Article
RNAi Analysis of Potential Functions of Cyclin B3 in Reproduction of Male Oriental River Prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense)
by Shubo Jin, Zhenyu Zhou, Wenyi Zhang, Yiwei Xiong, Hui Qiao, Yongsheng Gong, Yan Wu, Sufei Jiang and Hongtuo Fu
Animals 2023, 13(10), 1703; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101703 - 21 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1009
Abstract
Cyclin B3 (CycB3) is involved in the metabolic pathway of the cell cycle, playing essential roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and mitosis. CycB3 is also predicted to be involved in the reproduction of male oriental river prawns (Macrobrachium [...] Read more.
Cyclin B3 (CycB3) is involved in the metabolic pathway of the cell cycle, playing essential roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and mitosis. CycB3 is also predicted to be involved in the reproduction of male oriental river prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense). In this study, the potential functions of CycB3 in M. nipponense were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR, RNA interference, and histological observations. The full-length DNA sequence of CycB3 in M. nipponense was 2147 base pairs (bp) long. An open reading frame of 1500 bp was found, encoding 499 amino acids. A highly conserved destruction box and two conserved cyclin motifs were found in the protein sequence of Mn-CycB3. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that this protein sequence was evolutionarily close to that of CycB3s of crustacean species. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis results suggested that CycB3 was involved in the process of spermiogenesis, oogenesis, and embryogenesis in M. nipponense. RNA interference analysis showed that CycB3 had a positive regulatory relationship with insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) in M. nipponense. In addition, sperm were rarely observed in the testis of double-stranded CycB3-injected prawns after 14 days of treatment, and sperm abundance was dramatically lower than that in the double-stranded GFP-injected prawns on the same day. This result indicated that CycB3 can regulate the testis reproduction in M. nipponense through inhibiting the IAG expressions. Overall, these results indicated that CycB3 plays essential roles in the regulation of male reproduction in M. nipponense, which may promote the studies of male reproduction in other crustacean species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals)
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16 pages, 2978 KiB  
Article
Sex Reversal Induced by Dietary Supplementation with 17α-Methyltestosterone during the Critical Period of Sex Differentiation in Oriental River Prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense)
by Pengfei Cai, Huwei Yuan, Zijian Gao, Peter Daka, Hui Qiao, Wenyi Zhang, Sufei Jiang, Yiwei Xiong, Yongsheng Gong, Yan Wu, Shubo Jin and Hongtuo Fu
Animals 2023, 13(8), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081369 - 17 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1801 | Correction
Abstract
The steroid 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) inhibits ovarian function and is often used to induce sex reversal artificially in vertebrates. In the present study, different concentrations of MT were added as dietary supplementation, and the effects on sex ratio, growth, and gonadal development were examined. [...] Read more.
The steroid 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) inhibits ovarian function and is often used to induce sex reversal artificially in vertebrates. In the present study, different concentrations of MT were added as dietary supplementation, and the effects on sex ratio, growth, and gonadal development were examined. After 40 days, the sex ratio (male:female) in each group increased at different degrees with 50 (1.36:1), 100 (1.57:1), and 200 (2.61:1) mg/kg MT, and neo-males with testis–ovary coexistence were observed in the 200 mg/kg MT group. Furthermore, 50 and 100 mg/kg MT could induce female reversion in neo-males. Histologically, the development of the testes in experimental groups was slower, but the ovaries of the experimental and control groups had similar developmental rates. The expression levels of DMRT11E, Foxl2, and SoxE1 in males at 200 mg/kg MT were 8.65-, 3.75-, and 3.45-fold greater than those of the control group. In crustaceans, sex reversal through vertebrate sex hormones can be observed. Neo-males (sex-reversed female prawns) were maintained by exogenous androgen, and over-reliance led to slow testis growth, small body size, and low growth rate, but sperm was still produced. In female prawns, MT inhibited ovary development and promoted growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals)
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17 pages, 5724 KiB  
Article
Putative Role of CFSH in the Eyestalk-AG-Testicular Endocrine Axis of the Swimming Crab Portunus trituberculatus
by Mengen Wang, Rui Xu, Shisheng Tu, Qiaoling Yu, Xi Xie and Dongfa Zhu
Animals 2023, 13(4), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040690 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1222
Abstract
It has been shown in recent studies that the crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH) plays a crucial role in the development of secondary sexual characteristics in Decapoda crustaceans. However, research on the function of CFSH in the eyestalk-AG-testicular endocrine axis has been inadequate. [...] Read more.
It has been shown in recent studies that the crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH) plays a crucial role in the development of secondary sexual characteristics in Decapoda crustaceans. However, research on the function of CFSH in the eyestalk-AG-testicular endocrine axis has been inadequate. We cloned and identified a homolog of CFSH, PtCFSH, in this study. RT-PCR showed that PtCFSH was mainly expressed in the eyestalk. A long-term injection of dsPtCFSH and recombinant PtCFSH (rPtCFSH) in vivo showed opposite effects on spermatogenesis-related gene expression and histological features in the testis of P. trituberculatus, and was accompanied by changes in AG morphological characteristics and PtIAG expression. In addition, the phosphorylated-MAPK levels and the expression of several IIS pathway genes in the testis was changed accordingly in two treatments, suggesting that PtCFSH may regulate the testicular development via IAG. The hypothesis was further validated by a mixed injection of both dsPtCFSH and dsPtIAG in vivo. The following in vitro studies confirmed the negatively effects of PtCFSH on AG, and revealed that the PtCFSH can also act directly on the testis. Treatment with rPtCFSH reduced the cAMP and cGMP levels as well as the nitric oxide synthetase activity. These findings provide vital clues to the mechanisms of CFSH action in both the eyestalk-AG-testis endocrinal axis and its direct effects on the testis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals)
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16 pages, 4799 KiB  
Article
Expression and Characterization of the Spats1 Gene and Its Response to E2/MT Treatment in the Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)
by Luo Lei, Junxian Zhu, Chen Chen, Yakun Wang, Xiaoyou Hong, Xiaoli Liu, Lingyun Yu, Chengqing Wei, Haigang Chen, Yihui Liu, Ruiyang Li, Wei Li and Xinping Zhu
Animals 2022, 12(14), 1858; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141858 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
Spats1 (spermatogenesis-associated, serinerich 1) has been characterized as a male-biased gene which acts an important role in the germ cell differentiation of mammals. Nevertheless, the function of Spats1 in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (P. sinensis) has not yet been reported. To [...] Read more.
Spats1 (spermatogenesis-associated, serinerich 1) has been characterized as a male-biased gene which acts an important role in the germ cell differentiation of mammals. Nevertheless, the function of Spats1 in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (P. sinensis) has not yet been reported. To initially explore the expression of Spats1 in P. sinensis and its response to sex steroid treatment, we cloned the CDS of Spats1 for the first time and analyzed its expression profile in different tissues, including the testes in different seasons. The Spats1 cDNA fragment is 1201 base pairs (bp) in length and contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 849 bp, which codes for 283 amino acids. Spats1 mRNA was highly expressed in the testes (p < 0.01) and barely detectable in other tissues. In P. sinensis, the relative expression of Spats1 also responsive to seasonal changes in testis development. In summer (July) and autumn (October), Spats1 gene expression was significantly higher in the testes than in other seasons (p < 0.05). Spats1 mRNA was found to be specifically expressed in germ cells by chemical in situ hybridization (CISH), and it was mainly located in primary spermatocytes (Sc1), secondary spermatocytes (Sc2) and spermatozoa (St). Spats1 expression in embryos was not significantly changed after 17α-methyltestosterone (MT)and 17β-estradiol (E2) treatment. In adults, MT significantly induced Spats1 expression in male P. sinensis. However, the expression of Spats1 in testes was not responsive to E2 treatment. In addition, the expression of Spats1 in females was not affected by either MT or E2 treatment. These results imply that Spats1 is a male-specific expressed gene that is mainly regulated by MT and is closely linked to spermatogenesis and release in P. sinensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals)
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1 pages, 184 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Cai et al. Sex Reversal Induced by Dietary Supplementation with 17α-Methyltestosterone during the Critical Period of Sex Differentiation in Oriental River Prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense). Animals 2023, 13, 1369
by Pengfei Cai, Huwei Yuan, Zijian Gao, Peter Daka, Hui Qiao, Wenyi Zhang, Sufei Jiang, Yiwei Xiong, Yongsheng Gong, Yan Wu, Shubo Jin and Hongtuo Fu
Animals 2023, 13(15), 2489; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13152489 - 01 Aug 2023
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Abstract
In the original publication [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Reproduction in Aquatic Animals)
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