Identification and expression of a factor of the DM family in the oyster Crassostrea gigas.

TitleIdentification and expression of a factor of the DM family in the oyster Crassostrea gigas.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsNaimi, A, Martinez, A-S, Specq, M-L, Mrac, A, Diss, B, Mathieu, M, Sourdaine, P
JournalComp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol
Volume152
Issue2
Pagination189-96
Date Published2009 Feb
ISSN1531-4332
KeywordsAge Factors, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Base Sequence, Cell Differentiation, Cloning, Molecular, Conserved Sequence, Crassostrea, Female, Gametogenesis, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Gonads, Introns, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Phylogeny, RNA, Messenger, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Sequence Analysis, Protein, Transcription Factors
Abstract

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is a successive not systematic protandric hermaphrodite. Searching for an ortholog to Dmrt1, a conserved sex determinism factor, we have identified the first complete cDNA of a DM factor in Lophotrochozoa which we have called Cg-DMl (Crassostrea gigas DMRT-like). It is 359aa long, with the DM domain common to all the family factors, and one DMA domain specific to members such as Dmrt4 and Dmrt5. Its gene presents one intron of 598 bp. Real time PCR and in situ hybridization have shown that Cg-DMl was expressed in both sexes, with a significantly higher expression in male than in female gonads at the end of the adult gametogenetic cycle and that a significant peak of expression was observed in spat between 1 and 2 months of age. These results suggest that Cg-DMl may be involved in the development of the gonad and may constitute preliminary clues for future work in order to better understand DM protein evolution.

DOI10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.09.019
Alternate JournalComp. Biochem. Physiol., Part A Mol. Integr. Physiol.
PubMed ID18854223