Molecular cloning, characterization, mRNA expression changes and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling during kidney embryonic development of SOX9 in Alligator sinensis

SOX9 plays a crucial, extensive and conservative role in the process of somatic tissue development and adult regeneration through the positive self-regulation mediated by SOM across all vertebrates. In this study, we have cloned SOX9 from the kidney of hatchling Alligator sinensis. The full-length of SOX9 cDNA is 3878 bp with an open reading frame encoding 494 amino acids. Amino acid alignment analyses indicated that the SOX9 exhibit highly conserved functional domains. Using the droplet digital PCR, the mRNA abundances of SOX9 during nephrogenesis in A. sinensis showed prominent changes in the embryonic development, suggesting that SOX9 might combines a vital role in the regulation of complex renal development. Interestingly, we detected the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX9 protein using immunofluorescence, implying that nucleocytoplasmic shuttling is critical to the regulation of SOX9 in the renal embryonic development. Collectively, these data provide an important foundation for further studies on renal developmental biology and molecular biology of non-mammalian SOX9. Furthermore, it provides new insights into the phenomenon of SOX9 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in Alligator sinensis, which is probably of great significance to the development of kidney metanephros embryo.