Comparative profiling of ovarian and testicular piRNAs in the mud crab Scylla paramamosain

Waiho K 1 , Fazhan H 2 , Zhang Y 2 , Li S 2 , Zhang Y 2 , Zheng H 2 Show all authors , Ikhwanuddin M 3 , Ma H 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
  • 2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
  • 3 STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; Institute of Tropical Aquaculture, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu 21030, Malaysia.. Electronic address: ikhwanuddin@umt.edu.my
  • 4 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China. Electronic address: mahy@stu.edu.cn
Genomics, 2020 01;112(1):323-331.
PMID: 30807818 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.02.012

Abstract

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are abundantly found in germ cells and involved in gametogenesis and gonadal development. Information on the regulatory roles of piRNAs in crustacean reproduction, however, is scarce. Thus, we identified gonadal piRNAs of mud crab Scylla paramamosain. Of the 115,491 novel piRNAs, 596 were differentially expressed. Subsequently, 389,887 potential piRNA-target genes were predicted. The expression of 4 piRNAs and 9 genes with high piRNA interactions were validated with the inclusion of additional immature specimens, including LRP2 that is involved in growth and reproduction, MDN1 in ribosome biogenesis pathway and gametogenesis, and PRKDC, a DNA repair gene involved in gonadal differentiation and maturation. KEGG analysis further revealed the involvement of predicted piRNA target genes in gametogenesis- and reproduction-related pathways. Our findings provide baseline information of mud crab piRNAs and their differential expression between testes and ovaries suggests that piRNAs play an essential role in regulating gametogenesis and gonadal development.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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