Divergent Expression Patterns and Function Implications of Four nanos Genes in a Hermaphroditic Fish, Epinephelus coioides.
Multiplenanosgenes have been characterized in several fishes, but the functional implications of their various expression patterns remain unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized fournanosgenes from a hermaphroditic fish orange-spotted grouper,Epinephelus coioides.Ecnanos1aandEcnanos1bshow divergent expression patterns, and the dynamic expression change ofEcnanos1ain pituitaries during sex change is associated with testis differentiation and spermatogenesis.Ecnanos2andEcnanos3might be germline stem cells (GSCs) and primordial germ cells (PGCs)-specific markers, respectively. Significantly,Ecnanos33'-untranslated region (UTR) is necessary for PGC specific expression, where a non-canonical "GCACGTTT" sequence is required for miR-430-mediated repression ofEcnanos3RNA. Furthermore, grouper Dead end (Dnd) can relieve miR-430 repression in PGCs by associating with a 23 bp U-rich region (URR) inEcnanos33'-UTR. The current study revealed the functional association of multiplenanosgenes with PGC formation and germ cell development in orange-spotted grouper, and opened up new possibilities for developing biotechnologies through utilizing the associations betweenEcnanos3and PGCs or betweenEcnanos2and GSCs in the hermaphroditic fish.
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. huihappy1012@126.com.
Zhi-Hui
ZH
Sun
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. wangyang@ihb.ac.cn.
Yang
Y
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. a18914926176@163.com.
Wei-Jia
WJ
Lu
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. lizhi@ihb.ac.cn.
Zhi
Z
Li
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, The Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. lsslxc@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Xiao-Chun
XC
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, The Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. lishuisheng219@126.com.
Shui-Sheng
SS
Li
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. zhouli@ihb.ac.cn.
Li
L
Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. jfgui@ihb.ac.cn.
Jian-Fang
JF
Gui
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D057850:Hermaphroditic Organisms / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D010473:Perciformes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D029941:Fish Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins
germ-line cells; germline stem cells (GSCs); nanos; orange-spotted grouper; primordial germ cells (PGCs); protogynous hermaphrodite; sex change