Molecular characterization and expression of Piwil1 and Piwil2 during gonadal development and treatment with HCG and LHRH-A2 in Odontobutis potamophila

Abstract Piwi proteins play an important regulatory role in germ cell division during gametogenesis and gonad development. In order to understand the function of Piwi genes in the reproductive process of the dark sleeper, we identified and characterized Piwil1 and Piwil2 from gonad tissue. The tissue distribution demonstrated that Piwils were highly expressed in the gonad of the dark sleeper. During gonad development, higher expression was observed in stage I of both the testes and ovaries than in subsequent stages at mRNA and protein levels. The results of immunohistochemistry demonstrated that Piwils were predominantly distributed in the spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and early oocytes. When treated with the HPG axis hormone (HCG and LHRH-A2), the expression of Piwils was significantly decreased in the testes and ovaries at mRNA and protein levels. All of these results indicated that Piwils play a vital role in gonad development and gametogenesis. Our findings provide valuable evidence to further clarify the underlying modulation mechanism of Piwils in teleosts.