Sox基因家族,广泛分布在整个动物界的转录因子集合,在许多发育过程中起着至关重要的作用。棘皮动物在许多研究领域占有举足轻重的地位,比如神经科学,性别决定和分化,和胚胎发育。然而,到目前为止,尚未进行全面的研究来表征和分析棘皮动物中的Sox基因。在本研究中,使用生物信息学方法分析了11种棘皮动物中Sox家族基因的进化和表达。结果显示共有70个Sox基因,不同棘皮动物的计数范围从5到8。系统发育分析表明,鉴定的Sox基因可以分为七个不同的类别:SoxB1类,SoxB2类,SoxC类,SoxD类,SoxE类,SoxF类和SoxH类。值得注意的是,SoxB1,SoxB2和SoxF基因普遍存在于所有研究的棘皮动物中,这表明这些基因在棘皮动物中可能是保守的。在三种棘皮动物中观察到的Sox基因的时空表达模式表明,各种Sox成员发挥着不同的功能作用。值得注意的是,SoxB1可能参与棘皮动物卵巢发育,而SoxH可能在海星和海参的睾丸发育中起关键作用。总的来说,本研究为探索棘皮动物中的Sox基因提供了分子基础,为未来的系统发育和基因组研究提供了宝贵的资源。
The Sox gene family, a collection of transcription factors widely distributed throughout the animal kingdom, plays a crucial role in numerous developmental processes. Echinoderms occupy a pivotal position in many research fields, such as neuroscience, sex determination and differentiation, and embryonic development. However, to date, no comprehensive study has been conducted to characterize and analyze Sox genes in echinoderms. In the present study, the evolution and expression of Sox family genes across 11 echinoderms were analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The results revealed a total of 70 Sox genes, with counts ranging from 5 to 8 across different echinoderms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the identified Sox genes could be categorized into seven distinct classes: the SoxB1 class, SoxB2 class, SoxC class, SoxD class, SoxE class, SoxF class and SoxH class. Notably, the SoxB1, SoxB2, and SoxF genes were ubiquitously present in all the echinoderms studied, which suggests that these genes may be conserved in echinoderms. The spatiotemporal expression patterns observed for Sox genes in the three echinoderms indicated that various Sox members perform distinct functional roles. Notably, SoxB1 is likely involved in echinoderm ovary development, while SoxH may play a crucial role in testis development in starfish and sea cucumber. In general, the present investigation provides a molecular foundation for exploring the Sox gene in echinoderms, providing a valuable resource for future phylogenetic and genomic studies.