Molecular Characterization and Expression of <i>unc-13d</i> in the Sex Reversal of <i>Monopterus albus</i>
<i>Monopterus albus</i> is a protogynous hermaphroditic fish that changes from female to male, but the underlying sex change mechanism remains as-yet unknown. In this study, we firstly cloned and characterized the sequence and protein structure of <i>unc-13d</i> of <i>M...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/122 |
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| Summary: | <i>Monopterus albus</i> is a protogynous hermaphroditic fish that changes from female to male, but the underlying sex change mechanism remains as-yet unknown. In this study, we firstly cloned and characterized the sequence and protein structure of <i>unc-13d</i> of <i>M. albus.</i> We found that the genomic structure of <i>unc-13d</i> was different from other species. Expression was detected in the developing gonad by applying qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization. We found that the expression of <i>unc-13d</i> in the ovotestis was higher than in the ovary and testes. A strong signal of <i>unc-13d</i> was detected in oocytes and granulosa cells in the ovary and spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes in the testes. We found that the promoter methylation of <i>unc-13d</i> was negatively correlated with gene expression in developing gonads, especially at site 114. A dual-luciferase assay was designed and revealed that <i>dmrt1</i> regulates promoter activity opposite to <i>foxl2</i>. In summary, during sex reversal, DNA methylation affects the binding of the transcription factor dmrt1 and <i>foxl2</i> in the promoter region through methylation and demethylation interactions to regulate the expression of <i>unc-13d</i> during gonadal development. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-2615 |