Cloning and Characterization of a Rice Field Eel vasa-Like Gene cDNA and Its Expression in Gonads During Natural Sex Transformation |
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Authors: | Ding Ye Daoyuan Lv Ping Song Maoyu Peng Yungui Chen Ming Guo Qiwen Yang Yinchang Hu |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Developmental Biology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, P. R. China;(2) Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, P. R. China |
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Abstract: | The vasa (vas)-related gene encodes an RNA helicase protein member of the DEAD-box family and plays key roles in germ-cell formation in
higher metazoans. Using degenerate PCR and RACE, we cloned the vasa gene of the rice field eel (Monopterus albus), which is homologous to the Drosophila
vasa gene. We named it ma-vas (Monopterus albus vas). Ma-vas encodes a protein of 618 amino acids, which contains all of the known characteristics of vasa homologs. RT-PCR analysis revealed that ma-vas was exclusively expressed in the gonads of the female, intersex, and male. During gonadal natural sex reversal, ma-vas is expressed in oocytes at all stages of oogenesis, in degenerating oocytes of ovotestis, and in spermatogonia and spermatocytes
at early stages. The vasa positive signal was also observed in the peripheral layer of late ovary. It was not found, however, in that layer of the
testis. Alkaline phosphatase (AKP) staining on the ovary and testis also indicated that some cells had differentiational potential
in the peripheral layer of the ovary, suggesting that spermatogonia might arise from cells with AKP and vasa-positive staining in the peripheral layer of the female gonad. |
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Keywords: | vasa rice field eel sex transformation |
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