AUTHOR=Jin Shubo , Zhang Wenyi , Wang Pengchao , Jiang Sufei , Qiao Hui , Gong Yongsheng , Wu Yan , Xiong Yiwei , Fu Hongtuo 

TITLE=Identification of potential functions of polo-like kinase 1 in male reproductive development of the oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) by RNA interference analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1084802

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.1084802

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<p>Polo-like kinase 1 (<italic>Plk1</italic>) has multiple functions in the cell cycle, including in the maturation of centrosomes during the G2/M transition, the separation of centrosomes, and the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 expression and spindle assembly. In this study, we investigated the potential regulatory roles of <italic>Plk1</italic> in the reproductive development of the male oriental river prawn (<italic>Machrobrachium nipponense</italic>). The full cDNA sequence of <italic>Mn</italic>-<italic>Plk1</italic> was 2360 base pairs long, with an open reading frame of 1836 base pairs encoding 611 amino acids. Protein sequence alignment identified a conserved serine/threonine kinase domain and two Polo-boxes. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that <italic>Mn</italic>-<italic>Plk1</italic> had the closest evolutionary distance with <italic>Plk1</italic>s of freshwater prawns and then with those of crustacean species, whereas the evolutionary distance with mollusks was much more distant. Quantitative PCR analysis predicted that <italic>Mn</italic>-<italic>Plk1</italic> plays essential roles in the regulation of gonad development. RNA interference analysis and histological observations showed that expression of insulin-like androgenic gland hormone decreased as the expression of <italic>Mn-Plk1</italic> decreased, and fewer than 5% of cells were sperm cells at day 14 in the <italic>dsPlk1</italic> injected prawns. This result indicated that <italic>Plk1</italic> positively regulated testis development in <italic>M. nipponense</italic> by affecting the expression of this hormone. Our results highlight the functions of <italic>Plk1</italic> in <italic>M</italic>. <italic>nipponense</italic> and provide valuable information that can be applied to establish artificial techniques to regulate testis development in this species.</p>