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Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Sexual Dimorphism of Gene Expression Patterns during Gonad Differentiation in the Half-Smooth Tongue Sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis)

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Abstract

The half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), one of the most economically-important fish species in China, exhibits sexually dimorphic growth. An understanding of sex-related gene expression patterns in the tongue sole may inform sex regulation and breeding processes that increase fish production. However, the gene expression patterns during gonad development in the tongue sole remain unknown. In this study, transcriptome sequencing analyses were performed during gonad differentiation in the tongue sole, namely, at 62 days post-hatching (dph), 100 dph, 120 dph, and 150 dph. Differentially expressed genes associated with sex differentiation and gonad development were identified at each time point. Trend analysis showed that gene expression patterns varied over time. These expression patterns either explained common, non-sexually-dimorphic features or indicated significant sexual dimorphism. Transcript structure analyses identified both sex and time differences among samples. This study investigated the time-dependent expression patterns of several sex-related genes, including Dmrt1, Amh, Foxl2, aromatase encoding gene, Esr, and the Sox gene family, during gonad differentiation in the tongue sole. These results might clarify the significant sexual differences during early development in the tongue sole and might provide insight into the mechanisms controlling sex differentiation and development.

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Funding

This work was supported by Guangzhou Science and Technology Project (201803020017) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31902427).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China

    Genmei Lin, Dong Gao & Jianguo Lu

  2. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China

    Jianguo Lu

  3. Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, China

    Xiaowen Sun

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  1. Genmei Lin
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  2. Dong Gao
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  3. Jianguo Lu
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  4. Xiaowen Sun
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation was performed by Jianguo Lu. Data collection and analysis was performed by Genmei Lin and Dong Gao. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Genmei Lin and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jianguo Lu.

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All protocols in this study were approved by the Ethic Committee on the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

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Additional file 1

Table S1 DEGs associated with gonad development and sex differentiation between female and male at each time point. (XLSX 22 kb)

Additional file 2

Table S2 GO terms significantly enriched with DEGs between female and male at each time point. (XLSX 16 kb)

Additional file 3

Table S3 KEGG pathways significantly enriched with DEGs between female and male at each time point. (XLSX 12 kb)

Additional file 4

Table S4 GO terms significantly enriched with genes of profiles 0 and 7 shared by female and male. (XLSX 12 kb)

Additional file 5

Table S5 KEGG pathways significantly enriched with genes of profiles 0 and 7 shared by female and male. (XLSX 10 kb)

Additional file 6

Table S6 Microsatellites identification in female and male at each time point. (XLSX 9 kb)

Additional file 7

Table S7 SNPs and InDels in female and male at each time point. (XLSX 12 kb)

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Lin, G., Gao, D., Lu, J. et al. Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Sexual Dimorphism of Gene Expression Patterns during Gonad Differentiation in the Half-Smooth Tongue Sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Mar Biotechnol 23, 18–30 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-020-09996-x

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