贝类养殖是我国海水养殖的主导产业之一。解析贝类性别遗传决定及调控机制，有助于实现贝类人工性控，推动贝类育种工作的深入开展。我们的前期研究表明，FoxL2很可能是扇贝的性别决定基因。本研究拟以雌雄异体和雌雄同体虾夷扇贝为材料，确定FoxL2的性别遗传决定位点，筛查FoxL2的靶基因和互作蛋白，构建FoxL2的基因调控网络，分析网络关键基因的表观调控模式，系统解析FoxL2的遗传调控机制及作用机理，揭示扇贝性别的遗传决定与性反转的机制，为贝类性控技术的建立奠定理论基础。

Shellfish aquaculture represents one of the most important components in Chinese mariculture industry. Elucidation of sex determination mechanism of shellfish will be crucial for realizing artificial sex regulation in shellfish and facilitate the development of shellfish breeding. Our preliminary results suggest that FoxL2 is the candidate sex determination gene in scallop. This project plans to use dioecious and hermaphrodite yesso scallop as experimental materials, to (1) determine the genetic locus (loci) responsible for switching on or off FoxL2 expression; (2) screen FoxL2 target genes and interacting proteins; (3) constructing the FoxL2 gene regulatory network; (4) determine the epigenetic regulatory modes of key genes in the network. All these work will help to elucidate the mechanisms of scallop sex determination and sex reversal, paving the way for establishing artificial sex regulation technique for shellfish.