AUTHOR=Zhang Hongmei , Xu Zhaobin , Xu Junxiao , Wei Zhenlin , Shi Zhiyi 

TITLE=The differential expression and effects of Drosha on metamorphosis of Japanese flounder (paralichthys olivaceus)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.957836

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.957836

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Drosha is critical for producing mature microRNAs (miRNAs) from their precursor molecules and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Although Drosha has been well characterized in most vertebrate species, identifying the Japanese flounder Drosha has remained elusive. In this study, we cloned the Japanese flounder Drosha gene, which has 4122 nucleotides (nt), including a 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of 14 nt, a 3'-UTR of 230 nt, and a 3879 nt open reading frame (ORF) encodes a 1292 amino acid polypeptide. Then we analyzed the conservation and phylogenetic evolution of Drosha in some species. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed that Drosha mRNA is highly expressed in the brain, and a lower amount of mRNA was also found in muscle than in other tissues. Drosha plays a vital role in controlling flounder development and metabolism，and its mRNA levels were relatively high at 36dph in the period of metamorphosis and growth of the Japanese flounder. Drosha expression showed in advance with a peak at 23 dpf following TH treatment.The Drosha-specific siRNA significantly down-regulated Drosha mRNA and miR-1,133,17,214,181a,181b levels, while pri-miRNA levels were not significantly different from control(NC). These results suggest that Drosha plays a vital role in Paralichthys olivaceus development and metamorphosis through processing to produce mature miRNAs, providing essential information for further studying of the part of the Drosha gene in the Paralichthys olivaceus development.