Genome-wide identification, evolution and expression of TGF-β signaling pathway members in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi)

Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 3):126949. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126949. Epub 2023 Sep 16.

Abstract

Members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway regulate diverse cellular biological processes in embryonic and tissue development. We took mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) as the research object to identify all members of the TGF-β signaling pathway, measure their expression pattern in the key period post hatching, and further explore their possible role in the process of sex regulation. Herein, we identified eighty-three TGF-β signaling pathway members and located them on chromosomes based on the genome of mandarin fish. TGF-β signaling pathway members were highly conserved since each TGF-β subfamily clustered with orthologs from other species. Transcriptome analysis, qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization demonstrated that most mandarin fish TGF-β signaling pathway members presented stage-specific and/or sex-dimorphic expression during gonadal development, and different members of the TGF-β signaling pathway participated in different stages of gonadal development. Taken together, our results provide new insight into the role of TGF-β signaling pathway members in the sex regulation of mandarin fish.

Keywords: Mandarin fish; Sex regulation; Transforming growth factor β.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Fish Proteins / genetics
  • Fish Proteins / metabolism
  • Fishes* / genetics
  • Fishes* / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Perciformes* / genetics
  • Perciformes* / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / genetics

Substances

  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Fish Proteins