Gonadal Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Novel Sex-Related Genes in Bactrocera dorsalis

Abstract

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most devastating agricultural pests worldwide due to its high reproductive and invasive abilities. The elucidation of its gonadal developmental characteristics and the identification of sex-related genes will provide a useful genetic basis for reproductive-based pest control. Here, the gonadal transcriptome of B. dorsalis was sequenced, and novel gonad-specific expressed genes were analyzed. A total of 1338, 336, 35, and 479 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the testis (TE), ovary (OV), female accessory gland (FAG), and male accessory gland (MAG), respectively. Furthermore, 463 highly expressed gonad-specific genes were identified, with the TE having the highest number of specific highly expressed genes, at 402, followed by 51 in the OV, 9 in the MAG, and only 1 in the FAG. Strikingly, approximately half of highly expressed gonad-specific genes were uncharacterized. Then, it was found that 35, 17, 3, 2, and 1 of 202 uncharacterized highly expressed TE-specific genes encoded proteins that contained transmembrane domains, signal peptides, high-mobility group boxes, the zinc finger domain, and the BTB/POZ domain, respectively. Interestingly, approximately 40% of uncharacterized highly expressed gonad-specific genes encoding proteins were not predicted to possess functional motifs or domains. Finally, the spatiotemporal expression and sequence characterization of six novel highly expressed gonad-specific genes were analyzed. Altogether, our findings provide a valuable dataset for future functional analyses of sex-related genes and potential target sites for pest control.