Molecular characterization of transformer-2 gene in the mud crab Scylla paramamosain and its putative role in sexual development

Transformer-2 (Tra-2) is an mRNA splicing factor that acts in concert with Tra to regulate the female sexual development in Drosophila melanogaster. In decapods, as no Tra homologues have been identified, the role of Tra-2 in sexual development is more often discussed accordingly. In the present study, the full-length cDNA of Tra-2 of the mud crab Scylla paramamosain (SpTra-2) was cloned and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of SpTra-2 contained an RNA-recognition motif (RRM) flanking by two RS-rich regions, which are the hallmarks of the Tra-2 proteins. The SpTra-2 mRNA was highly abundant in the hepatopancreas, muscles and androgenic glands of the male crabs, implying a potential role in male sexual development. The hypothesis was supported by the RNAi experiments, finding that the injection of SpTra-2 dsRNA in vivo led to a decreased expression of SpIAG, a key gene in crustacean male sexual differentiation. The relationship between SpTra-2 and SpIAG was further affirmed by eyestalk ablation (ESA) experiments, which caused SpTra-2 expression earlier than SpIAG expression in both androgenic glands and hepatopancreas. In addition, treatment with SpTra-2 dsRNA also reduced the mRNA level of SpSxl, but had no effects on SpDmrt expression, suggesting the sex determination system in S. paramamosain is different from that in D. melanogaster.