TY - JOUR
T1 - Seasonal variations in reproductive activity of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus
T2 - Vitellogenin expression and levels of vitellogenin in the hemolymph during ovarian development
AU - Thongda, Willawan
AU - Chung, J. S.
AU - Tsutsui, Naoaki
AU - Zmora, Nilli
AU - Katenta, Anna
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to the staff of the Aquaculture Research Center (ARC, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, Baltimore, MD, USA) for maintaining IMET's re-circulating artificial seawater system and the Laboratory Services, Biological Programs Department in National Aquarium (Baltimore) for testing daily water quality. The authors are also grateful to Sarah Bembe for her help with cDNA syntheses. This work was supported by a research grant award no. MB-8714-08 from the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and a Program Grant ( NA17FU2841 ) from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office to the Blue Crab Advanced Research Consortium. WT was supported by a Thai government fellowship . AK's internship was supported by the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (NOAA Award No. NA11SEC4810002 ) and MBRS-RISE grant ( R25 GM 063775 ) at Chung laboratory at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (Baltimore, MD). This article is contribution no. 4943 of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and contribution no. 14-130 of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2015/1
Y1 - 2015/1
N2 - In general, season affects the physiology and behavior of most animals. Warmer temperatures accelerate growth and reproduction of ectotherms, whereas these processes are slowed or halted in colder temperatures. Female blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus inhabiting the Chesapeake Bay, exhibit a seasonal migratory behavior that is closely tied with spawning and the release of larvae. To better understand reproductive activities of the migratory adult females, we examined two reproductive parameters of these crabs sampled monthly (April-December, 2006): the levels of vitellogenin (VtG) in the hemolymph and VtG expression in the hepatopancreas and ovary. The full-length cDNA of VtG (CasVtG-ova) has been isolated from the ovary. The putative CasVtG sequence found in the ovary is >. 99% identical to that of the hepatopancreas and is related most closely to the sequences reported in other crab species. In female C. sapidus, the hepatopancreas produces over 99% of the total VtG toward the ovarian development. Ovarian stages 2 and 3 in the sampled females are characterized by significant high levels of VtG in hemolymph and VtG expression in both the hepatopancreas and ovary. However, during the southbound migration in fall, females at ovarian stages 2 and 3 have decreased VtG levels, compared to those in spring and summer. The decreased vitellogenesis activity during the fall migration suggests seasonal adaptation to ensure successful spawning and the larval release.
AB - In general, season affects the physiology and behavior of most animals. Warmer temperatures accelerate growth and reproduction of ectotherms, whereas these processes are slowed or halted in colder temperatures. Female blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus inhabiting the Chesapeake Bay, exhibit a seasonal migratory behavior that is closely tied with spawning and the release of larvae. To better understand reproductive activities of the migratory adult females, we examined two reproductive parameters of these crabs sampled monthly (April-December, 2006): the levels of vitellogenin (VtG) in the hemolymph and VtG expression in the hepatopancreas and ovary. The full-length cDNA of VtG (CasVtG-ova) has been isolated from the ovary. The putative CasVtG sequence found in the ovary is >. 99% identical to that of the hepatopancreas and is related most closely to the sequences reported in other crab species. In female C. sapidus, the hepatopancreas produces over 99% of the total VtG toward the ovarian development. Ovarian stages 2 and 3 in the sampled females are characterized by significant high levels of VtG in hemolymph and VtG expression in both the hepatopancreas and ovary. However, during the southbound migration in fall, females at ovarian stages 2 and 3 have decreased VtG levels, compared to those in spring and summer. The decreased vitellogenesis activity during the fall migration suggests seasonal adaptation to ensure successful spawning and the larval release.
KW - Decapod crustacean
KW - Ovarian development
KW - Seasonal variation
KW - Vitellogenin expression
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U2 - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.019
DO - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.019
M3 - Article
C2 - 25218941
AN - SCOPUS:84907483636
SN - 1095-6433
VL - 179
SP - 35
EP - 43
JO - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology
JF - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology
ER -