AUTHOR=Farhadi Ardavan , Cui Wenxiao , Zheng Huaiping , Li Shengkang , Zhang Yueling , Ikhwanuddin Mhd , Ma Hongyu 

TITLE=The Regulatory Mechanism of Sexual Development in Decapod Crustaceans

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.679687

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.679687

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Crustacean culture has been developing rapidly in various parts of the world. Therefore, it is important to understand their reproductive biology. Insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) secreted from the androgenic gland (AG) is widely accepted as a key regulator of sexual differentiation in male crustaceans. However, recently several sex-related genes (i.e., <italic>CFSH</italic>, <italic>DEAD-box</italic> family, <italic>Tra-2</italic>, <italic>Sxl</italic>, <italic>Dsx</italic>, <italic>Fem-1</italic>, <italic>Sox</italic> gene family, <italic>Foxl2</italic>, and <italic>Dmrt</italic> gene family) have been identified via transcriptomic analysis in crustaceans, indicating that sexual differentiation in crustaceans is more complicated than previously expected. It has been found that several non-coding RNAs (i.e., miRNAs, lncRNAs, and piRNAs) and IAG receptors may be involved in the sexual development of decapods. Identification and study of the regulation mechanism of sex-related genes, non-coding RNAs, and IAG receptors will provide valuable information regarding sexual development in decapods. In this review, the roles of hormonal and genetic factors in both males and females are discussed. In males, crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH), <italic>Sxl</italic>, <italic>Dmrt</italic> gene family, <italic>Dsx</italic>, <italic>Sox</italic> gene family, <italic>GEM</italic>, <italic>Fem-1</italic>, l-GnRH-III, and corazonin play important roles in <italic>IAG</italic> regulation in the “eyestalk-IAG-testis” endocrine axis. Unlike males, the regulation mechanism and interaction of sexual genes are relatively unknown in females. However, <italic>CFSH</italic>, <italic>IAG</italic>, <italic>Fem-1</italic>, <italic>FAMeT</italic>, <italic>Slo</italic>, <italic>UCHLs</italic>, <italic>Erk2</italic>, <italic>Cdc2</italic>, <italic>EGFR</italic>, <italic>Vg</italic>, <italic>VgR</italic>, and <italic>VIH</italic> seem to play crucial roles during ovarian development. This study summarizes the available information in the field, highlights gaps, and lays the foundations for further studies and a better understanding of the regulatory mechanism of sexual development in decapods.</p>