Roles of GATA6 during Gonadal Development in Japanese Flounder: Gonadogenesis, Regulation of Gender-Related Genes, Estrogen Formation and Gonadal Function Maintenance

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2017-01, Vol.18 (1), p.160-160
• Main Authors: Li, Zan, Liu, Xiumei, Sun, Yan, Liu, Jinxiang, Liu, Yuezhong, Wang, Mengxun, Zhang, Quanqi, Wang, Xubo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Aromatase; Aromatase - genetics; Aromatase - metabolism; Base Sequence; Blastula; Cell proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Chromosomes - genetics; dimorphic expression; DNA, Complementary - genetics; DNA, Complementary - isolation & purification; Embryogenesis; Embryonic Development - drug effects; Embryonic Development - genetics; Endoderm; Estrogens - metabolism; Female; Fish; Flounder - embryology; Flounder - genetics; GATA-binding protein; GATA6; GATA6 Transcription Factor - chemistry; GATA6 Transcription Factor - genetics; GATA6 Transcription Factor - metabolism; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - drug effects; Gene regulation; Genome; gonadal development; Gonads - drug effects; Gonads - embryology; Gonads - metabolism; hormone stimulation; In Situ Hybridization; Male; Methyltestosterone - pharmacology; Morphogenesis; Oocytes; Oogonia; Paralichthys; Paralichthys olivaceus; Phylogeny; Pleuronectiformes; Protein Domains; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Sertoli cells; Sex Characteristics; Sexual dimorphism; Structural Homology, Protein; Synteny; Teleostei; Testis - cytology; Testosterone
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms18010160

GATA-binding protein 6 (GATA6), a highly-conserved transcription factor of the GATA family plays an important role in gonadal cell proliferation, differentiation and endoderm development. In this study, the full-length cDNA of GATA6 of (Japanese flounder) was obtained. Phylogenetic, gene structure and synteny analyses demonstrated that GATA6 of is homologous to that of teleosts and tetrapods. The GATA6 transcript showed higher expression in testis than in ovary, demonstrating a sexually dimorphic gene expression. During embryonic development, the expression of GATA6 increased at the blastula stage, demonstrating that GATA6 is involved in morphogenesis. Results of in situ hybridization showed that GATA6 signals were detected in Sertoli cells, oogonia and oocytes. Moreover, 17α methyl testosterone, a male hormone, could moderately upregulate GATA6 and downregulate aromatase CYP19A1 in testis cells. These results suggest that GATA6 may play an important role in gonadal development in . This study provides valuable information on the function of GATA6, laying the foundation for further development of breeding techniques in this species.