罗非鱼染色体遗传型性别决定机制(Chromosomal genetic sex determination,GSD)的研究开展较早,目前利用种间杂交的方法得到全雄罗非鱼在生产上已广泛应用,而对影响罗非鱼性别决定的环境因素研究开展较晚。研究证实罗非鱼确实存在温度依赖型性别决定机制(Temperature-dependent sex determination,TSD),而且这种温度依赖型性别决定机制只出现在性别发育的某一特定时期。近年来,研究者们开始尝试用分子生物学手段来研究罗非鱼性别决定及分化机制,寻找影响性别决定的基因位点、研究位点之间的相互关系及其相互作用,以及外界因素是如何通过调控性别决定位点来影响鱼类性别分化的等。目前研究的主要功能基因有DMRT基因家族、DAX1、SHP、AMH、oP450arom等。最新研究结果表明,tDMRT1可作为尼罗罗非鱼精巢分化的分子标记。
vsx1(visual system homeobox-1),a homeobox gene originally identified from an adult goldfish retinal cDNA library,has been shown to regulate retina progenitor proliferation,differentiation and functional maintenance of bipolar cells in vertebrates.However,in all the examined vertebrate species,vsx1 transcripts can be also detected at the early developmental stage,suggesting that it may play an important role in regulating early embryogenesis as well.Here,we investigated the function of vsx1 in early embryogenesis of goldfish(Carassius auratus) with both overexpression and gene knockdown approaches.It was found that vsx1 overexpression specifically blocked dorsal midline structure for-mation and vsx1 knockdown led to disorganized dorsal midline structure.Whole-mount in situ hy-bridization revealed that the midline expression of ntl,a key regulatory gene for chordamesoderm,was repressed by vsx1 overexpression but enhanced in the vsx1 knockdown.Furthermore,VSX1 protein could bind ntl promoter directly and was sufficient to inhibit ntl promoter-driven reporter gene green fluorescence protein transcription.Together,these results suggested that vsx1 may act to repress ec-topic expression of ntl in neural progenitor cells to ensure neural tube development in a spatially coordinated pattern during early embryogenesis.
LIU ZhengHuaCHEN JinHuiMA ShanShanTONG YingLUO Chen
