Zhang Yin, Chen Yali, Shi Shihao, Zhu Yingli, Ikhwanuddin Mhd, Ma Hongyu
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; International Joint Research Center for the Development and Utilization of Important Mariculture Varieties Surrounding the South China Sea Region, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
International Joint Research Center for the Development and Utilization of Important Mariculture Varieties Surrounding the South China Sea Region, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; Higher Institute Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Sep 11;328(Pt 2):147641. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147641.
The larval development of crustaceans involves profound appendage transformations, and elucidating the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms is crucial for understanding the fundamental principles of body plan formation. The Hox gene Abdominal-A (Abd-A) plays a key role in arthropod appendage patterning and formation. This study employed RNA interference (RNAi) coupled with high-throughput transcriptomics to define the regulatory role of SpAbd-A in pleopod morphogenesis during mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) larval development. Transcriptome sequencing was conducted on individuals displaying developmental abnormalities, such as pleopod degeneration or complete loss, after SpAbd-A RNAi treatment during the zoea IV stage of S. paramamosain. 333 differentially expressed genes (99 upregulated, 234 downregulated) were identified. Key pathways and processes were affected including: chitin metabolism (chitin deacetylase 8, resilin, β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, peritrophin-1, endochitinase-like, adult cuticle protein ACP-20); juvenile hormone (JH) signaling (juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase 1, juvenile hormone esterase); appendage patterning and development (engrailed-2a, empty spiracles, aristaless, distal-less, Abdominal-B, BarH-like 1 homeobox protein, LIM homeobox 1); and specific pathways (organic anion transporting polypeptide 74D, ubiquitin-specific protease 8). Functional enrichment analysis confirmed profound disruptions in chitin catabolic processes, lipid transporter activity, and hormone biosynthetic pathways. This study provides the comprehensive molecular characterization establishing Abd-A as a critical regulator of crustacean appendage morphogenesis. The identified Hox-centered regulatory network present novel targets for enhancing larval quality in commercial mud crab aquaculture through biomacromolecule-based developmental engineering strategies.
甲壳类动物的幼体发育涉及到附肢的深刻转变，阐明其潜在的分子调控机制对于理解身体结构形成的基本原理至关重要。同源异型基因腹部A（Abd-A）在节肢动物附肢模式形成和发育中起着关键作用。本研究采用RNA干扰（RNAi）结合高通量转录组学技术，来确定泥蟹（拟穴青蟹）幼体发育过程中SpAbd-A在腹肢形态发生中的调控作用。在拟穴青蟹蚤状幼体IV期进行SpAbd-A RNAi处理后，对出现发育异常（如腹肢退化或完全缺失）的个体进行转录组测序。共鉴定出333个差异表达基因（99个上调，234个下调）。受影响的关键途径和过程包括：几丁质代谢（几丁质脱乙酰酶8、弹性蛋白、β-N-乙酰己糖胺酶、围食膜蛋白-1、内切几丁质酶样、成虫表皮蛋白ACP-20）；保幼激素（JH）信号传导（保幼激素环氧水解酶1、保幼激素酯酶）；附肢模式形成和发育（ engrailed-2a、空气门、无触角、远端缺失、腹部B、BarH样1同源盒蛋白、LIM同源盒1）；以及特定途径（有机阴离子转运多肽74D、泛素特异性蛋白酶8）。功能富集分析证实了几丁质分解代谢过程、脂质转运蛋白活性和激素生物合成途径受到严重破坏。本研究提供了全面的分子特征，确立了Abd-A作为甲壳类动物附肢形态发生关键调节因子的地位。所确定的以Hox为中心的调控网络为通过基于生物大分子的发育工程策略提高商业泥蟹养殖幼体质量提供了新的靶点。
