Characterization of the male-specific lethal 3 gene in the oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense

In this study, male-specific lethal 3 homolog (Mnmsl3) was cloned and characterized from the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium nipponense (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The deduced amino acid sequences of Mnmsl3 showed high-sequence homology to the insect Msl3 and contained a conserved chromatin organization modifier domain and an MORF4-related gene domain. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that the Mnmsl3 gene was expressed in all the investigated tissues, with the highest level of expression in the testis. The expression level of Mnmsl3 between males and females was different in the gonad (testis or ovary), abdominal ganglion, and heart. The results revealed that the Mnmsl3 gene might play roles in regulating chromatin and in dosage compensation of M. nipponense. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction also revealed that Mnmsl3 mRNA expression was significantly increased in both 5 and 20 days post-larvae after metamorphosis, suggesting that Mnmsl3 plays complex and important roles in the early embryonic development and sex differentiation of M. nipponense.