Involvement of Sox9a in chondrogenesis and gonadal development in teleost Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

DEAR EDITOR,Sox9 is a member of the Sry-related high-mobility group box（Sox） transcription factor family in animals. In teleost fish,Sox9 undergoes duplication to generate two duplicates,namely Sox9a and Sox9b. However, the functions of these duplicates in the teleost Nile tilapia（Oreochromis niloticus）remain unclear. In this study, we characterized the roles of Nile tilapia Sox9a in chondrogenesis and gonadal development.