Histological observation, transcriptome and methylome analyses reveal the dynamic changes during gonadal differentiation of spotted sea bass, Lateolabrax maculatus
The spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) is a highly valuable species in Chinese aquaculture, yet its gonadal development remains poorly understood. This study employed histology, RNA-Seq, and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to investigate early gonadal differentiation. Histological ana...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-09-01
|
| Series: | Aquaculture Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235251342500376X |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) is a highly valuable species in Chinese aquaculture, yet its gonadal development remains poorly understood. This study employed histology, RNA-Seq, and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to investigate early gonadal differentiation. Histological analysis revealed that testicular differentiation commenced before 120 days post-hatching (dph), while ovarian differentiation appeared before 180 dph. Transcriptomic profiling at 90, 120, 180, and 250 dph identified male-biased DEGs (e.g., star, prom2, igfbp2a, dmrt1, gsdf) and female-biased DEGs (e.g., slco4a1, adma, prxl2a, foxl2, id2), suggesting their involvement in testis and ovary formation, respectively. Thirty-one hub genes showed a sustained increase in expression during both testis and ovary differentiation, enriched in pathways such as ribosome biogenesis, RNA polymerase, spliceosome, and cytosolic DNA-sensing indicating roles in somatic and germ cell development. WGBS analysis at 180 dph showed that steroid hormone synthesis and transport pathways were associated with DNA methylation. Moreover, six genes (acta1, cacnb4, crabp2, dfna5, app1, and hoxb3a) exhibited significant methylation differences between testes and ovaries, with expression levels negatively correlated with methylation. These genes may serve as key epigenetic targets during gonadal differentiation. Collectively, this study provides a comprehensive overview of transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms driving early gonadal differentiation in spotted sea bass, offering new insights into sex differentiation in teleosts. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2352-5134 |