Global Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles Provides Novel Insights into the Development and Evolution of the Large Crustacean Eriocheir sinensis
- Author:
Wang JUN
1
,
2
,
3
;
Chen XIAOWEN
;
He FUNAN
;
Song XIAO
;
Huang SHU
;
Yue WUCHENG
;
Chen YIPEI
;
Su ZHIXI
;
Wang CHENGHUI
Author Information
1. Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources,Ministry of Agriculture,Shanghai 201306,China
2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education,Shanghai Ocean University,Shanghai 201306,China
3. Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture,Shanghai 201306,China
- Keywords:
Developmental transcrip-tome;
Metamorphosis;
Evolution;
Ecology
- From:
Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics
2020;18(4):443-454
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is an important aquaculture species in Crustacea. Functional analysis, although essential, has been hindered due to the lack of sufficient genomic or transcriptomic resources. In this study, transcriptome sequencing was conducted on 59 samples rep-resenting diverse developmental stages (fertilized eggs, zoea, megalopa, three sub-stages of larvae, juvenile crabs, and adult crabs) and different tissues (eyestalk, hepatopancreas, and muscle from juvenile crabs, and eyestalk, hepatopancreas, muscle, heart, stomach, gill, thoracic ganglia, intes-tine, ovary, and testis from adult crabs) of E. sinensis. A comprehensive reference transcriptome was assembled, including 19,023 protein-coding genes. Hierarchical clustering based on 128 differ-entially expressed cuticle-related genes revealed two distinct expression patterns during the early lar-val developmental stages, demonstrating the distinct roles of these genes in 'crab-like"cuticle formation during metamorphosis and cuticle calcification after molting. Phylogenetic analysis of 1406 one-to-one orthologous gene families identified from seven arthropod species andCaenorhabditis elegans strongly supported the hypothesis that Malacostraca and Branchiopoda do not form a monophyletic group. Furthermore, Branchiopoda is more phylogenetically closely related to Hexapoda, and the clade of Hexapoda and Branchiopoda and the clade of Malacostraca belong to the Pancrustacea. This study offers a high-quality transcriptome resource for E. sinensis and demonstrates the evolutionary relationships of major arthropod groups. The differentially expressed genes identified in this study facilitate further investigation of the cuticle-related gene expression networks which are likely associated with'crab-like"cuticle formation during metamor-phosis and cuticle calcification after molting.
