Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Transformer‐2 Gene During Development in Macrobrachium nipponense (de Haan 1849). Issue 3 (9th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yanping; Fu, Hongtuo; Qiao, Hui; Jin, Shubo; Jiang, Sufei; Xiong, Yiwei; Gong, Yongsheng; Zhang, Xianzhong
• Is Part Of: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. Volume 44:Issue 3(2013)
• Page Start: 338
• Page End: 349
• Publication Date: 2013-06-09
• Subjects: Aquaculture -- Periodicals; 639.8
• DOI: 10.1111/jwas.12039
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0893-8849

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>The transformer‐2 gene (<italic>tra‐2</italic>) plays a key role in the sexual differentiation regulatory hierarchy. In this study, <italic>tra‐2</italic> gene homologs designated as <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> was cloned and characterized from <italic>Macrobrachium nipponense</italic>. The full‐length cDNA of <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> consists of 1724 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 192 amino acids, an 827 bp 5′‐untranslated region (UTR) and a 318 bp 3′‐UTR. The predicated molecular mass of <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> was 20.805 kDa with an estimated theoretical isoelectric point of 10.36. The deduced amino acid sequence shares high homology with <italic>Penaeus monodon</italic>. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) analyses demonstrated that the expression levels of <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> varied significantly during different developmental stages of embryogenesis, larvae, and post‐larvae and in various adult tissues. During embryogenesis, the expression level of <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> was slightly higher at the cleavage stage than at the blastula stage, and reached the highest level at the nauplius stage. During the larvae, the <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> expression gradually increased from 1 d larvae post hatch (L1) to L10 and decreased to a lowest level at the end of metamorphosis. During the post‐larvae, the <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> expression was higher level at the 5 d after the metamorphosis (P5). RT‐qPCR showed the <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> mRNA was expressed in ovary, testis, muscle, heart, abdominal ganglion, brain, and intestine with the highest level of expression in muscle and intestine. The results indicate that <italic>Mntra‐2</italic> is an arthropods tra‐2 homolog and probably plays important roles in embryonic development and sex differentiation of <italic>M. nipponense</italic></bold>.</p> </abstract>