Comparison between cultured and wild Pacific white shrimp () vitellogenesis: next-generation sequencing and relative expression of genes directly and indirectly related to reproduction.

Shrimp fisheries are among the most important fisheries worldwide, and shrimp culture has increased considerably in recent years. Most current studies on reproduction-related genes have been conducted on cultured shrimp. However, gene expression is intimately linked to physiological and environmental conditions, and therefore an organism's growth environment has a great influence on reproduction. Thus, gene expression profiling, should be applied in fisheries studies. Here, we identified the expression patterns of 76 reproduction-related genes in via the analysis of pooled transcriptomes from a time-series experiment encompassing a full circadian cycle. The expression patterns of genes associated both directly (, , and ) and indirectly (, , and ) with reproduction were evaluated, as these genes could be used as molecular markers of previtellogenic and vitellogenic maturation stages. The evaluated genes were prominently upregulated during vitellogenic stages, with specific expression patterns depending on the organism's environment, diet, and season. , , , and could serve as molecular markers for both wild and cultured organisms.