A new insight into potential roles of Spfoxl-2 in the testicular development of Scylla paramamosain by RNAi and transcriptome analysis.

In our previous study, we found that the Spfoxl-2 transcript was highly expressed in gonads and explored its potential target genes in the ovary of Scylla paramamosain. In the current study, we primally analyzed its potential target genes in the testis through RNAi and RNA-Seq technology and compared with that in the ovary. The results showed that a total of 7892 unigenes were differentially expressed after Spfoxl-2 silencing in the testis, including plenty of conserved genes involved in testicular development, such as Dmrt family genes, Sox family genes, Caspase family genes, Cdk family genes, Kinesin family genes, Fox family genes and other genes. Further analysis revealed that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in crucial pathways involved in spermatogenesis, such as DNA replication, Cell cycle, Spliceosome, Homologous recombination, Meiosis and Apoptosis. The comparison results of potential target genes in the ovary and testis reveal 135 common potential target genes, including some genes involved in the immune response. According to our knowledge, the present work was the first to disclose the functions of foxl-2 in the testis of crustacean species using transcriptome analysis. It not only identifies key genes and pathways involved in the testicular development of S. paramamosain, but also reveals a new molecular-level understanding of the function of foxl-2 in testicular development.