Characterization of a novel and testis-specific zinc finger protein during sexual development of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Chi Sheng Wang, Hao Sheng Cheng, Wan Ting Chang, Cheng Chieh Hsiao, Peng Wei Tseng, Hau Wen Li, Amir Sagi, Ching Fong Chang, Guan Chung Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Since females grow faster in penaeid shrimp, all-female aquaculture was proposed. Environmental conditions in the Pacific white shrimp were not found to affect genetic sex determination (ZZ/ZW system). The androgenic gland-secreting insulin-like androgenic gland hormone is a key controlling factor in crustacean male differentiation. However, functional sex reversal (neo-male) in penaeid shrimp has not yet been achieved by manipulating the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone-sexual switch. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of gonadal differentiation may help build appropriate tools to generate neo-male for all-female breeding. This study describes the potential role of the novel penaeid-specific testicular zinc finger protein (pTZFP) in the gonads of Pacific white shrimp. First, pTZFP transcripts show a male-bias expression pattern in undifferentiated gonads, which is then exclusively expressed in the testis and absent or slightly expressed in the ovary and other tissues. Besides, the knockdown of pTZFP in undifferentiated males results in smaller testes but no sex reversal. Immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen further confirmed that the smaller testes in pTZFP-deficient males are due to the lower proliferating activity of spermatogonia. These data reveal that pTZFP may be involved in testicular development but have fewer effects on gonadal differentiation. Moreover, testicular pTZFP transcription levels were not reduced with estradiol-17β (E2) administration or AG excision. Therefore, our data suggest that pTZFP may regulate testicular development through downstream genes regulating spermatogonia proliferation. Moreover, our data provide an appropriate molecular marker for identifying the sex of undifferentiated gonads.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)179-190
Number of pages12
JournalBiology of Reproduction
Volume112
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • 17β-estradiol (e2)
  • androgenic gland
  • crustacean sex determination
  • gonadal differentiation
  • insulin-like androgenic gland (iag) hormone

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Reproductive Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Characterization of a novel and testis-specific zinc finger protein during sexual development of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this