title: Coordinated microRNA and messenger RNA expression profiles for understanding sexual dimorphism of gonads and the potential roles of microRNA in the steroidogenesis pathway in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
abstract: Sexual dimorphism is a widespread phenomenon in animals. However, the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating this dimorphism is not fully understood. In our study, we used an integrated approach to identify functional targets of miRNA by combining the paired expression profiles of miRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in ovaries and testes of young Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The results revealed that 67 upregulated and nine downregulated miRNAs and 2299 upregulated and 3260 downregulated genes were identified in the ovary compared with those in the testis (P < 0.01). The target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted and overlapped with the differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were conducted in these coincident genes. By correlating miRNA-mRNA and predicting computational target, two types of negatively regulatory miRNA-mRNA correlations (upregulated or downregulated miRNA and downregulated or upregulated mRNA) were obtained. Seven functional miRNA-target gene pairs, miR-17-5p/DMRT1, miR-20a/DMRT1, miR-138/CYP17A2, miR-338/CYP17A2, miR-200a/CYP17A2, miR-456/AMH, and miR-138/AMH, were predicted at the sequence level and further detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction on the basis of the significantly negative relationships. Our results suggest that the integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiling can provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of sexual dimorphism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China; Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China. Electronic address: tglwzyc@163.com.
authors.forename: Wenzhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Baojun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Lixia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Ruirong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: jinliangzhao@foxmail.com.
authors.forename: Jinliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Shaozhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023681:Cichlids / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Gonads; Nile tilapia; Sexual dimorphism; Transcriptome; mRNA; miRNA