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Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 6973

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hongtuo Fu

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Guest Editor

1. Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
2. 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: biological breeding; reproduction of the oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense); aquatic animal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Hui Qiao

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Guest Editor

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; biotechnology; germplasm improvement; genetic breeding; gene function; genomics; gene editing; population genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproduction and fertility are complex mechanisms in aquatic animals. Many aquatic animals have sexual dimorphism between male and female individuals, showing significant differences in growth. Thus, monosex culture may have dramatic economic benefits. Many economic aquatic animals are widely cultured in many countries and regions. However, 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 new-born animals, leading to short life span, small size and low disease resistance. Therefore, analyses of their reproductive mechanisms are equally important, including but not limited to molecular functional studies of sex differentiation and gonadal development. In addition, several biological or chemical reagents have been shown to have significant effects on aquatic animal reproduction and fertility, such as steroid hormones, sex-determining genes, etc. Thus, the mechanisms of sex-determination and reproduction needed to be fully understood in order to establish techniques to produce monosex cultures and regulate gonad development in aquatic animals. Significant progress has been made over the past few decades in areas such as biological reproduction and developmental processes. However, relatively little has been conducted in fish, crustaceans and shellfish. The effects of steroid hormones on the process of sex-determination and reproduction in aquatic animals will continue to be unraveled, as well as identifying the complex signaling networks and genes regulated by the steroid hormone. Identification of the roles of nutritional and environmental factors on hormone secretion, hormone balance and corresponding sex-determination and reproduction outcomes altered by changed hormone levels are areas of focus.

Reviews or research articles in this fascinating area, which discuss the reproduction and fertility of aquatic animals and their applications or which aim to discern the bottlenecks in the field, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Hongtuo Fu
Dr. Hui Qiao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

reproduction
aquatic animals
sex determination
gonadal development
steroid hormones
sex-related genes
monosex culture

Related Special Issue

Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals 2.0 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (1 article)

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2439 KiB

Open AccessArticle

DNA Methylation and Chromatin Accessibility Impact Subgenome Expression Dominance in the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

by Shuang-Ting Yu, Ran Zhao, Xiao-Qing Sun, Ming-Xi Hou, Yi-Ming Cao, Jin Zhang, Ying-Jie Chen, Kai-Kuo Wang, Yan Zhang, Jiong-Tang Li and Qi Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1635; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031635 - 29 Jan 2024

Viewed by 634

Abstract

DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility play important roles in gene expression, but their function in subgenome expression dominance remains largely unknown. We conducted comprehensive analyses of the transcriptome, DNA methylation, and chromatin accessibility in liver and muscle tissues of allotetraploid common carp, aiming to reveal the function of epigenetic modifications in subgenome expression dominance. A noteworthy overlap in differential expressed genes (DEGs) as well as their functions was observed across the two subgenomes. In the promoter and gene body, the DNA methylation level of the B subgenome was significantly different than that of the A subgenome. Nevertheless, differences in DNA methylation did not align with changes in homoeologous biased expression across liver and muscle tissues. Moreover, the B subgenome exhibited a higher prevalence of open chromatin regions and greater chromatin accessibility, in comparison to the A subgenome. The expression levels of genes located proximally to open chromatin regions were significantly higher than others. Genes with higher chromatin accessibility in the B subgenome exhibited significantly elevated expression levels compared to the A subgenome. Contrastingly, genes without accessibility exhibited similar expression levels in both subgenomes. This study contributes to understanding the regulation of subgenome expression dominance in allotetraploid common carp. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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17 pages, 13587 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Mn-LIPA in Sex Hormone Regulation and Gonadal Development in the Oriental River Prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense

by Pengfei Cai, Wenyi Zhang, Sufei Jiang, Yiwei Xiong, Hui Qiao, Huwei Yuan, Zijian Gao, Yongkang Zhou, Shubo Jin and Hongtuo Fu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1399; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031399 - 23 Jan 2024

Viewed by 815

Abstract

This study investigates the role of lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) in sex hormone regulation and gonadal development in Macrobrachium nipponense. The full-length Mn-LIPA cDNA was cloned, and its expression patterns were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in various tissues and developmental stages. Higher expression levels were observed in the hepatopancreas, cerebral ganglion, and testes, indicating the potential involvement of Mn-LIPA in sex differentiation and gonadal development. In situ hybridization experiments revealed strong Mn-LIPA signaling in the spermatheca and hepatopancreas, suggesting their potential role in steroid synthesis (such as cholesterol, fatty acids, cholesteryl ester, and triglycerides) and sperm maturation. Increased expression levels of male-specific genes, such as insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG), sperm gelatinase (SG), and mab-3-related transcription factor (Dmrt11E), were observed after dsMn-LIPA (double-stranded LIPA) injection, and significant inhibition of sperm development and maturation was observed histologically. Additionally, the relationship between Mn-LIPA and sex-related genes (IAG, SG, and Dmrt11E) and hormones (17β-estradiol and 17α-methyltestosterone) was explored by administering sex hormones to male prawns, indicating that Mn-LIPA does not directly control the production of sex hormones but rather utilizes the property of hydrolyzing triglycerides and cholesterol to provide energy while influencing the synthesis and secretion of self-sex hormones. These findings provide valuable insights into the function of Mn-LIPA in M. nipponense and its potential implications for understanding sex differentiation and gonadal development in crustaceans. It provides an important theoretical basis for the realization of a monosex culture of M. nipponense. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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18 pages, 5205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification of Vitellogenin Gene Family and Comparative Analysis of Their Involvement in Ovarian Maturation in Exopalaemon carinicauda

by Jiajia Wang, Shuai Tang, Qianqian Ge, Qiong Wang, Yuying He, Xianyun Ren, Jian Li and Jitao Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021089 - 16 Jan 2024

Viewed by 693

Abstract

Vitellogenin (Vtg) is a precursor of yolk proteins in egg-laying vertebrates and invertebrates and plays an important role in vitellogenesis and embryonic development. However, the Vtg family remains poorly characterized in Exopalaemon carinicauda, a major commercial mariculture species found along the coasts of the Yellow and Bohai Seas. In this study, 10 Vtg genes from the genomes of E. carinicauda were identified and characterized. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Vtg genes in crustaceans could be classified into four groups: Astacidea, Brachyra, Penaeidae, and Palaemonidae. EcVtg genes were unevenly distributed on the chromosomes of E. carinicauda, and a molecular evolutionary analysis showed that the EcVtg genes were primarily constrained by purifying selection during evolution. All putative EcVtg proteins were characterized by the presence of three conserved functional domains: a lipoprotein N-terminal domain (LPD_N), a domain of unknown function (DUF1943), and a von Willebrand factor type D domain (vWD). All EcVtg genes exhibited higher expression in the female hepatopancreas than in other tissues, and EcVtg gene expression during ovarian development suggested that the hepatopancreas is the main synthesis site in E. carinicauda. EcVtg1a, EcVtg2, and EcVtg3 play major roles in exogenous vitellogenesis, and EcVtg3 also plays a major role in endogenous vitellogenesis. Bilateral ablation of the eyestalk significantly upregulates EcVtg mRNA expression in the female hepatopancreas, indicating that the X-organ/sinus gland complex plays an important role in ovarian development, mostly by inducing Vtg synthesis. These results could improve our understanding of the function of multiple Vtg genes in crustaceans and aid future studies on the function of EcVtg genes during ovarian development in E. carinicauda. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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15 pages, 6473 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Sex-Specific Markers and Candidate Genes Using WGS Sequencing Reveals a ZW-Type Sex-Determination System in the Chinese Soft-Shell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

by Junxian Zhu, Yongchang Wang, Chen Chen, Liqin Ji, Xiaoyou Hong, Xiaoli Liu, Haigang Chen, Chengqing Wei, Xinping Zhu and Wei Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020819 - 9 Jan 2024

Viewed by 921

Abstract

Male and female Chinese soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) have sex-dimorphic growth patterns, and males have higher commercial value because of their larger size and thicker calipash. Thus, developing sex-specific markers is beneficial to studies on all-male breeding in P. sinensis. Here, we developed an accurate and efficient workflow for the screening of sex-specific sequences with ZW or XY sex determination systems. Based on this workflow, female and male P. sinensis reference genomes of 2.23 Gb and 2.26 Gb were obtained using de novo assembly. After aligning and filtering, 4.01 Mb female-specific sequences were finally identified. Subsequently, the seven developed sex-specific primer pairs were 100% accurate in preliminary, population, and embryonic validation. The presence and absence of bands for the primers of P44, P45, P66, P67, P68, and P69, as well as two and one bands for the PB1 primer, indicate that the embryos are genetically female and male, respectively. NR and functional annotations identified several sex-determining candidate genes and related pathways, including Ran, Eif4et, and Crkl genes, and the insulin signaling pathway and the cAMP signaling pathway, respectively. Collectively, our results reveal that a ZW-type sex-determination system is present in P. sinensis and provide novel insights for the screening of sex-specific markers, sex-control breeding, and the studies of the sex determination mechanism of P. sinensis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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18 pages, 3592 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Signatures of Scylla paramamosain Transcriptome Reveal Mechanistic Insights into Endogenous Ovarian Maturation under Risk of Starvation

by Yin Fu, Fengying Zhang, Wei Wang, Jiayuan Xu, Ming Zhao, Chunyan Ma, Yongxu Cheng, Wei Chen, Zhixing Su, Xiaokang Lv, Zhiqiang Liu, Keyi Ma and Lingbo Ma

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020700 - 5 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 840

Abstract

Variability in food availability leads to condition-dependent investments in reproduction. This study is aimed at understanding the metabolic response and regulatory mechanism of female Scylla paramamosain in response to starvation in a temporal- and tissue-specific manner. The mud crabs were starved for 7 (control), 14, 28, and 40 days for histological and biochemical analysis in the hepatopancreas, ovary, and serum, as well as for RNA sequencing on the hepatopancreas and ovary. We further highlighted candidate gene modules highly linked to physiological traits. Collectively, our observations suggested that starvation triggered endogenous ovarian maturation at the expense of hepatopancreas mass, with both metabolic adjustments to optimize energy and fatty acid supply from hepatopancreas to ovary in the early phase, followed by the activation of autophagy-related pathways in both organs over prolonged starvation. These specific adaptive responses might be considered efficient strategies to stimulate ovarian maturation of Scylla paramamosain under fasting stress, which improves the nutritional value of female mud crabs and other economically important crustaceans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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16 pages, 6915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Chromatin Accessibility and DNA Methylation to Reveal the Functions of Epigenetic Modifications in Cyprinus carpio Gonads

by Mingxi Hou, Qi Wang, Ran Zhao, Yiming Cao, Jin Zhang, Xiaoqing Sun, Shuangting Yu, Kaikuo Wang, Yingjie Chen, Yan Zhang and Jiongtang Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010321 - 25 Dec 2023

Viewed by 944

Abstract

Epigenetic modifications are critical in precisely regulating gene expression. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is an economically important fish species, and females exhibit faster growth rates than males. However, the studies related to epigenetic modifications in the common carp gonads are limited. In this study, we conducted the Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) and Bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) to explore the roles of epigenetic modifications in the common carp gonads. We identified 84,207 more accessible regions and 77,922 less accessible regions in ovaries compared to testes, and some sex-biased genes showed differential chromatin accessibility in their promoter regions, such as sox9a and zp3. Motif enrichment analysis showed that transcription factors (TFs) associated with embryonic development and cell proliferation were heavily enriched in ovaries, and the TFs Foxl2 and SF1 were only identified in ovaries. We also analyzed the possible regulations between chromatin accessibility and gene expression. By BS-seq, we identified 2087 promoter differentially methylated genes (promoter-DMGs) and 5264 gene body differentially methylated genes (genebody-DMGs) in CG contexts. These genebody-DMGs were significantly enriched in the Wnt signaling pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and GnRH signaling pathway, indicating that methylation in gene body regions could play an essential role in sex maintenance, just like methylation in promoter regions. Combined with transcriptomes, we revealed that the expression of dmrtb1-like, spag6, and fels was negatively correlated with their methylation levels in promoter regions. Our study on the epigenetic modifications of gonads contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanism of sex differentiation and sex maintenance in the common carp. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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18 pages, 4487 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Sox3 in Estradiol-Induced Sex Reversal in Pelodiscus sinensis

by Tong Zhou, Jizeng Cao, Guobin Chen, Yubin Wang, Guiwei Zou and Hongwei Liang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010248 - 23 Dec 2023

Viewed by 793

Abstract

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis, an economically important species in China, exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Males are more valuable than females owing to their wider calipash and faster growth. Estradiol (E2)-induced sex reversal is used to achieve all-male breeding of turtles; however, the mechanism of this sex reversal remains unclear. In this study, we characterized the Sox3 gene, whose expression level was high in the gonads and brain and exhibited significant sexual dimorphism in the ovary. During embryonic development, Sox3 was highly expressed at the initiation of ovarian differentiation. E2 and Sox3-RNAi treatment before sexual differentiation led to 1352, 908, 990, 1011, and 975 differentially expressed genes in five developmental stages, respectively, compared with only E2 treatment. The differentially expressed genes were clustered into 20 classes. The continuously downregulated and upregulated genes during gonadal differentiation were categorized into Class 0 (n = 271) and Class 19 (n = 606), respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that Sox3 significantly affected sexual differentiation via the Wnt, TGF-β, and TNF signaling pathways and mRNA surveillance pathway. The expression of genes involved in these signaling pathways, such as Dkk4, Nog, Msi1, and Krt14, changed significantly during gonadal differentiation. In conclusion, the deletion of Sox3 may lead to significant upregulation of the mRNA surveillance pathway and TNF and Ras signaling pathways and downregulation of the Wnt and TGF-β signaling pathways, inhibiting E2-induced sex reversal. These findings suggest that Sox3 may play a certain promoting effect during E2-induced sex reversal in P. sinensis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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24 pages, 22816 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Functions of Pt-DIC and Pt-Lamin B in Spermatogenesis of Portunus trituberculatus

by Shuo-Yue Wang, Qiu-Meng Xiang, Jun-Quan Zhu, Chang-Kao Mu, Chun-Lin Wang and Cong-Cong Hou

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010112 (registering DOI) - 21 Dec 2023

Viewed by 633

Abstract

Cytoplasmic Dynein is a multiple-subunit macromolecular motor protein involved in the transport process of cells. The Dynein intermediate chain (DIC) is one of the subunits of Dynein-1. In our previous studies, we showed that Pt-DIC may play an important role in the nuclear deformation of spermiogenesis in Portunus trituberculatus. Lamin B is essential for maintaining nuclear structure and functions. Surprisingly, Pt-Lamin B was expressed not only in the perinucleus but also in the pro-acrosome during spermiogenesis in P. trituberculatus. Studies have also shown that Dynein-1 can mediate the transport of Lamin B in mammals. Thus, to study the relationship of Pt-DIC and Pt-Lamin B in the spermatogenesis of P. trituberculatus, we knocked down the Pt-DIC gene in P. trituberculatus by RNAi. The results showed that the distribution of Pt-DIC and Pt-Lamin B in spermiogenesis was abnormal, and the colocalization was weakened. Moreover, we verified the interaction of Pt-DIC and Pt-Lamin B via coimmunoprecipitation. Therefore, our results suggested that both Pt-DIC and Pt-Lamin B were involved in the spermatogenesis of P. trituberculatus, and one of the functions of Dynein-1 is to mediate the transport of Lamin B in the spermiogenesis of P. trituberculatus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advance on Reproduction and Fertility of Aquatic Animals)

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