Molecular characterization of ovary-specific gene Mrfem-1 and siRNA-mediated regulation on targeting Mrfem-1 in the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Characterized by ankyrin repeat motifs, the feminization-1 (fem-1) gene plays an essential role in sex determination/differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, there are only a few reports on fem-1 in crustaceans. In this study, a fem-1 gene (Mrfem-1) was first isolated from the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Identification and profiling of microRNAs during gonadal development in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

As post-transcriptional regulators, microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in growth and reproductive processes. So far, there is limited information regarding crustacean miRNAs. To explore the potential role of miRNAs in the gonadal development of the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, we constructed seven small RNA libraries from ovarian and testicular tissues at various stages using somatic tissue as the control.