Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the different development stages of ovary in greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili)

The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is an emerging marine fish that is favored in aquaculture due to its delicate flesh and fast growth rate. Currently, there are few studies on the development and regulation of greater amberjack ovaries. In this study, the ovary transcriptome profiles of greater amberjack at three different stages (stage II, III, and IV) were performed, and the genes and pathways potentially involved in follicle growth and maturation were identified. A total of 65, 97 and 1061 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in FII vs. FIII, FIII vs. FIV, and FII vs. FIV stages, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGS are primarily involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis (e.g., esr1, cyp11a1, cyp17a1, cyp19a1a, hsd3b1, acdy9 and acdy2), lipid metabolism (e.g., plpp3, lpl, pld1 and fabp10a), and meiotic arrest and resumption (e.g., ar, ccnd2, adcy9, pgr, adcy2, myl9, calm1, tgfb1). Additionally, several signaling pathways involved in ovarian development have been identified, including the PI3K-Art signaling pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, the TGF-beta signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, and the GnRH signaling pathway. These transcript datasets provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of ovarian growth and maturation in marine fish. The results will be useful for the improvement of reproduction and development of greater amberjack.