Molecular Characterization of dax1 and SF‐1 and Their Expression Analysis During Sex Reversal in Spotted Scat, Scatophagus argus. Issue 1 (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Jianhua; He, Maoxian; Yan, Binlun; Zhang, Junbin; Jin, Sichen; Liu, Lu
• Is Part Of: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. Volume 46:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 19
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Aquaculture -- Periodicals; 639.8
• DOI: 10.1111/jwas.12165
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0893-8849

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jwas12165-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="jwas12165-para-0001">The nuclear receptors <italic>dax1</italic> and <italic>SF‐1</italic> play important and antagonistic roles in gonad differentiation in mammals. To study their potential functions in teleost fish, the full‐length cDNAs of <italic>dax1</italic> and <italic>SF‐1</italic> were cloned and characterized from spotted scat. Their expression patterns in adult tissues and juveniles treated with 17α‐methyltestosterone (MT) and their gonadal histological changes were investigated, respectively. The tissue‐specific expression results showed that <italic>dax1</italic> was abundantly expressed in the gonads, spleen, brain, and intestine. <italic>SF‐1</italic> was preferentially expressed in the gonad and spleen. Histological results showed that sex reversal could be induced by MT, and the degenerating oocytes and proliferations of spermatogonia were observed in gonad. At the beginning of sex reversal (40 d after treatment), the mRNA level of <italic>dax1</italic> significantly increased, and the transcript level of <italic>SF‐1</italic> mRNA was inhibited at the point of 20 d following treatment with MT. Our results suggested that masculinization could be induced by MT treatment in spotted scat, and MT could upregulate the dax1 expression, whereas it downregulates the expression of <italic>SF‐1</italic>, which implied that <italic>dax1</italic> and <italic>SF‐1</italic> might be involved in the gonad development from female to male and there was an antagonistic effect between <italic>dax1</italic> and <italic>SF‐1</italic>.</p> </abstract>