lncRNA DMRT2-AS acts as a transcriptional regulator of dmrt2 involving in sex differentiation in the Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis)

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to various biological processes, including sexual development. As a member of the DMRT family, dmrt2 plays a very important role in sex determination and differentiation. In this study, we cloned and characterized the lncRNA DMRT2-AS (referred to as dmrt2 antisense) associated with dmrt2 from the gonads of the Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). The full-length cDNA of DMRT2-AS was 537 bp. Based on a sequence alignment, DMRT2-AS overlapped with dmrt2 in reverse on exon 4 and intmn 3, with a region of overlap of 221 bp on exon 4. RT-qPCR showed that DMRT2-AS was highly expressed in the testis of Chinese tongue sole. In addition, the expression of DMRT2-AS increased continuously during male gonadal development. In vitro experiments and bioinformatics predictions showed that DMRT2-AS promoted the expression of dmrt2 at the transcriptional level. These results suggest that DMRT2-AS acts as a transcriptional regulator of dmrt2 and plays an important role in the gonadal differentiation of male.

Automated summary

In this study, a long non-coding RNA DMRT2-AS was cloned and characterized from the gonads of Chinese tongue sole, showing its importance in male gonadal development by promoting the expression of dmrt2 at the transcriptional level. This highlights the regulatory role of DMRT2-AS in gonadal differentiation, particularly in male individuals.