-
Journal of Biosciences 2021Laboratory experiments and fieldwork with asexually reproducing invertebrates and vertebrates clearly revealed that animal populations can produce substantial phenotypic... (Review)
Review
Laboratory experiments and fieldwork with asexually reproducing invertebrates and vertebrates clearly revealed that animal populations can produce substantial phenotypic variation despite genetic identity. This epigenetically caused phenotypic variation comes from two different sources, namely directional environmental induction and bed-hedging developmental stochasticity. Both occur together and are mediated by molecular epigenetic mechanisms like DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs. These epigenetic mechanisms are also involved in insect polyphenism, phenotypic changes in early domestication, and gene expression change and chromatin rearrangement during speciation. Epigenetic variation is particularly important for asexual populations helping them to stay in the game of life when the environmental conditions change. However, it is also relevant for sexually reproducing populations, as shown for genetically impoverished invasive groups, cave animals and sessile taxa that cannot evade unfavourable environmental conditions. Experiments revealed that epigenetic marks can be transgenerationally inherited and persist for several generations. First evidence suggests that inherited epimutations with phenotypic effects may end-up in phenotype-fixing genetic mutations by accelerated mutation of methylated nucleotides. Refined concepts, suitable animal models, fast and affordable new omics techniques that require only small tissue samples, and appropriate data interpretation tools are now available enabling future investigations in ecological and evolutionary epigenetics with high accuracy.
Topics: Adaptation, Biological; Animals; Astacoidea; Biological Evolution; Domestication; Ecology; Ecosystem; Epigenesis, Genetic; Insecta; Introduced Species; Mutation
PubMed: 33737497
DOI: No ID Found -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2022Despite voluminous literature identifying the impacts of invasive species, summaries of monetary costs for some taxonomic groups remain limited. Invasive alien...
Despite voluminous literature identifying the impacts of invasive species, summaries of monetary costs for some taxonomic groups remain limited. Invasive alien crustaceans often have profound impacts on recipient ecosystems, but there may be great unknowns related to their economic costs. Using the InvaCost database, we quantify and analyse reported costs associated with invasive crustaceans globally across taxonomic, spatial, and temporal descriptors. Specifically, we quantify the costs of prominent aquatic crustaceans - crayfish, crabs, amphipods, and lobsters. Between 2000 and 2020, crayfish caused US$ 120.5 million in reported costs; the vast majority (99%) being attributed to representatives of Astacidae and Cambaridae. Crayfish-related costs were unevenly distributed across countries, with a strong bias towards European economies (US$ 116.4 million; mainly due to the signal crayfish in Sweden), followed by costs reported from North America and Asia. The costs were also largely predicted or extrapolated, and thus not based on empirical observations. Despite these limitations, the costs of invasive crayfish have increased considerably over the past two decades, averaging US$ 5.7 million per year. Invasive crabs have caused costs of US$ 150.2 million since 1960 and the ratios were again uneven (57% in North America and 42% in Europe). Damage-related costs dominated for both crayfish (80%) and crabs (99%), with management costs lacking or even more under-reported. Reported costs for invasive amphipods (US$ 178.8 thousand) and lobsters (US$ 44.6 thousand) were considerably lower, suggesting a lack of effort in reporting costs for these groups or effects that are largely non-monetised. Despite the well-known damage caused by invasive crustaceans, we identify data limitations that prevent a full accounting of the economic costs of these invasive groups, while highlighting the increasing costs at several scales based on the available literature. Further cost reports are needed to better assess the true magnitude of monetary costs caused by invasive aquatic crustaceans.
Topics: Animals; Astacoidea; Decapoda; Ecosystem; Europe; Introduced Species
PubMed: 34971690
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152325 -
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of... May 2022Alcohol abuse remains one of the primary preventable sources of mortality in the United States. Model species can be used to evaluate behavioral and other biological...
Alcohol abuse remains one of the primary preventable sources of mortality in the United States. Model species can be used to evaluate behavioral and other biological changes associated with alcohol and to identify novel treatments. This report describes methods for evaluating the behavioral effects of ethanol (EtOH) in crayfish. Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were immersed in ethanol concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 molar, for 10-30 min. Studies evaluated hemolymph alcohol concentration, locomotion in an open field and anxiety-like behavior using a Light/Dark transfer approach. EtOH immersion produced dose-dependent increases in hemolymph EtOH (up to 249 mg/dL) and reductions in open field locomotion that depended on EtOH concentration or exposure duration. Untreated crayfish exhibit avoidance of the open parts of the locomotor arena and a preference for a covered portion. Acute EtOH immersion decreased time spent in the covered portion of the Light/Dark arena, consistent with a decrease in anxiety-like behavior. Daily EtOH immersion for 5 days did not alter locomotor responses, however, activity was increased 3 days after the repeated EtOH regimen. Overall, this study shows that this inexpensive, easily maintained species can be used for behavioral pharmacological experiments designed to assess the acute and repeated effects of EtOH.
Topics: Animals; Anxiety; Astacoidea; Ethanol; Locomotion
PubMed: 35261037
DOI: 10.1002/jeab.746 -
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology Sep 2021Invasive crayfish and the introduction of non-native diseases pose a significant risk for the conservation of endangered, white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius...
Invasive crayfish and the introduction of non-native diseases pose a significant risk for the conservation of endangered, white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes). Continued pollution of waterways is also of concern for native species and may be linked with crayfish disease dynamics. We explore whether crayfish species or environmental quality are predictors of infection presence and prevalence in native A. pallipes and invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). We use a seven-year dataset of histology records, and a field survey comparing the presence and prevalence of infectious agents in three isolated A. pallipes populations; three isolated P. leniusculus populations, and three populations where the two species had overlapped in the past. We note a lower diversity of parasites (Simpson's Index) in P. leniusculus ('Pacifastacus leniusculus Bacilliform Virus' - PlBV) (n = 1 parasite) relative to native A. pallipes (n = 4 parasites), which host Thelohania contejeani, 'Austropotamobius pallipes bacilliform virus' (ApBV), Psorospermium haeckeli and Branchiobdella astaci, at the sites studied. The infectious group present in both species was an intranuclear bacilliform virus of the hepatopancreas. The prevalence of A. astaci in A. pallipes populations was higher in more polluted water bodies, which may reflect an effect of water quality, or may be due to increased chance of transmission from nearby P. leniusculus, a species commonly found in poor quality habitats.
Topics: Animals; Astacoidea; Introduced Species; United Kingdom
PubMed: 33878331
DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107595 -
Microbiology Spectrum Oct 2021Increasing evidence denotes the role of the microbiome in biological invasions, since it is known that microbes can affect the fitness of the host. Here, we demonstrate...
Increasing evidence denotes the role of the microbiome in biological invasions, since it is known that microbes can affect the fitness of the host. Here, we demonstrate differences in the composition of an invader's microbiome along the invasion range, suggesting that its microbial communities may affect and be affected by range expansion. Using a 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing approach, we (i) analyzed the microbiomes of different tissues (exoskeleton, hemolymph, hepatopancreas, and intestine) of a successful freshwater invader, the signal crayfish, (ii) compared them to the surrounding water and sediment, and (iii) explored their changes along the invasion range. Exoskeletal, hepatopancreatic, and intestinal microbiomes varied between invasion core and invasion front populations. This indicates that they may be partly determined by population density, which was higher in the invasion core than in the invasion front. The highly diverse microbiome of exoskeletal biofilm was partly shaped by the environment (due to the similarity with the sediment microbiome) and partly by intrinsic crayfish parameters (due to the high proportion of exoskeleton-unique amplicon sequence variants [ASVs]), including the differences in invasion core and front population structure. Hemolymph had the most distinct microbiome compared to other tissues and differed between upstream (rural) and downstream (urban) river sections, indicating that its microbiome is potentially more driven by the effects of the abiotic environment. Our findings offer an insight into microbiome changes during dispersal of a successful invader and present a baseline for assessment of their contribution to an invader's overall health and its further invasion success. Invasive species are among the major drivers of biodiversity loss and impairment of ecosystem services worldwide, but our understanding of their invasion success and dynamics still has many gaps. For instance, although it is known that host-associated microbial communities may significantly affect an individual's health and fitness, the current studies on invasive species are mainly focused on pathogenic microbes, while the effects of the remaining majority of microbial communities on the invasion process are almost completely unexplored. We have analyzed the microbiome of one of the most successful crayfish invaders in Europe, the signal crayfish, and explored its changes along the signal crayfish invasion range in the Korana River, Croatia. Our study sets the perspective for future research required to assess the contribution of these changes to an individual's overall health status and resilience of dispersing populations and their impact on invasion success.
Topics: Animal Shells; Animals; Astacoidea; Biofilms; Croatia; DNA, Bacterial; Europe; Geologic Sediments; Hemolymph; Hepatopancreas; Intestines; Introduced Species; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 34494878
DOI: 10.1128/Spectrum.00389-21 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2022Neurotrauma is among the main causes of human disability and mortality. The transcription factor E2F1 is one of the key proteins that determine the fate of cells. The...
Neurotrauma is among the main causes of human disability and mortality. The transcription factor E2F1 is one of the key proteins that determine the fate of cells. The involvement of E2F1 in the regulation of survival and death of peripheral nerve cells after axotomy has not been previously studied. We, for the first time, studied axotomy-induced changes in the expression and localization of E2F1 following axonal injury in rats and crayfish. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy were used for the analysis of the expression and intracellular localization of E2F1 and its changes after axotomy. To evaluate whether this transcription factor promotes cell apoptosis, we examined the effect of pharmacological inhibition of E2F activity in axotomized rat models. In this work, axotomy caused increased expression of E2F1 as early as 4 h and even 1 h after axotomy of mechanoreceptor neurons and ganglia of crayfish ventral nerve cord (VNC), as well as rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The level of E2F1 expression increased both in the cytoplasm and the nuclei of neurons. Pharmacological inhibition of E2F demonstrated a pronounced neuroprotective activity against axotomized DRGs. E2F1 and downstream targets could be considered promising molecular targets for the development of potential neuroprotective agents.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Astacoidea; Axotomy; E2F1 Transcription Factor; Ganglia, Spinal; Neuroglia; Neurons; Rats; Sciatic Nerve
PubMed: 35457270
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084451 -
Fish & Shellfish Immunology Nov 2019Astakine 1 is a small cytokine-like peptide which is directly involved in hematopoiesis in crustaceans. Astakines are present in many different invertebrate groups...
Astakine 1 is a small cytokine-like peptide which is directly involved in hematopoiesis in crustaceans. Astakines are present in many different invertebrate groups primarily in arthropods. In this study we found that astakine1 was present as a high molecular weight (HMW) complex in plasma. It is known that calcium concentration are fluctuating in several crustaceans especially during the molting process. This HMW-complex was formed under low calcium concentrations in plasma and could be partially reversed provided calcium was added. The biological function of the naïve astakine1 and that in the HMW complex was about the same, but if the protein is to be isolated or studied for its function it is important to know about this property of astakine1 which may previously have hampered isolation and functional studies in other animals than freshwater crayfish.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Proteins; Astacoidea; Calcium; Plasma; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived
PubMed: 31465872
DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.08.063 -
Developmental and Comparative Immunology Jul 2020The Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is associated with the innate immune system and plays crucial roles in...
The Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is associated with the innate immune system and plays crucial roles in the mediation of immune response to viral infections. In this study, three STAT isoform cDNAs were cloned from the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, and they were designated as PcSTATa, PcSTATb, and PcSTATc. PcSTATa and PcSTATb were generated through the alternative splicing of the last exon, and PcSTATc was produced by intron retention. PcSTATa, PcSTATb, and PcSTATc contained 2382, 2337, and 2274 bp open reading frames encoding proteins with 793, 778, and 757 amino acid residues, respectively. Domain prediction analysis revealed that three isoforms of PcSTATs contain a STAT interaction domain, a STAT all-alpha domain, a STAT DNA binding domain, and a Src-homology 2 domain. The mRNA transcripts of three PcSTAT isoforms were detected in all examined tissues of male and female crayfish. The expression levels of the three PcSTAT isoforms in the hemocytes, gills, and intestines significantly changed after the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenge. PcSTAT silencing by dsRNA interference could positively regulate the expression levels of three anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (PcALF1, PcALF2, and PcALF6) and two crustins (PcCrus1 and PcCrus2) and negatively regulate the expression levels of three ALFs (PcALF3, PcALF4, and PcALF5) and two crustins (PcCrus3 and PcCrus4). These results suggest that all three PcSTAT isoforms are involved in the host defense against WSSV infection.
Topics: Alternative Splicing; Animals; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; Aquaculture; Arthropod Proteins; Astacoidea; China; Cloning, Molecular; Computational Biology; Gene Expression Regulation; Gills; Hemocytes; Immunity, Innate; Intestinal Mucosa; Protein Isoforms; STAT Transcription Factors; White spot syndrome virus 1
PubMed: 32156508
DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103670 -
Genes Dec 2023is the most widely distributed freshwater shrimp in China, with important economic value and great potential for development. The forkheadboxL2 () gene has been found...
is the most widely distributed freshwater shrimp in China, with important economic value and great potential for development. The forkheadboxL2 () gene has been found to be involved in the reproductive development of many crustaceans. To understand the role of the gene in the gonad development of , we designed CDS-specific primers for the () gene and cloned its CDS sequence using RT-PCR. The nucleotide and protein sequence information was then analyzed through bioinformatics analysis. The expression and subcellular localization of in various tissues were detected using qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The effects of knockdown on gonad development were investigated using RNA interference. The results showed that the CDS length of the gene was 1614 bp and encoded 537 amino acids. Protein sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis showed that was the closest relative to Crayfish. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression level of in the testis was significantly higher (>40 fold) than that in the ovary ( < 0.01). The in situ hybridization results showed that was expressed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of egg cells, and that the expression was strongest in egg cells at the early stage of yolk synthesis, while weak in the secondary oocytes. The positive signal was strongest in the spermatocyte nucleolus, while only a trace signal was observed in the cytoplasm. After interfering with the gene using dsRNA, the expression of in the RNA interference group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and this interference effect lasted for one week. Moreover, the gonad index of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( < 0.05) after 10 days of cultivation following knockdown. The expression levels of the and genes, which are related to gonad development, decreased significantly after gene interference. The results suggest that the gene is involved in the growth and development of gonads, particularly in the development of testis, and is related to the early development of oocytes. This study provides a theoretical basis for the artificial breeding of .
Topics: Male; Animals; Female; Astacoidea; Phylogeny; Amino Acid Sequence; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Cloning, Molecular
PubMed: 38137012
DOI: 10.3390/genes14122190 -
Bioorganic Chemistry May 2022Insulin-like androgenic gland factor (IAG) from the marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis is an insulin-like heterodimeric peptide composed of A and B chains and has...
Insulin-like androgenic gland factor (IAG) from the marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis is an insulin-like heterodimeric peptide composed of A and B chains and has an Asn-linked glycan at the B chain. IAG is considered to be a male sex hormone inducing the sex differentiation to male in decapod crustacean, although there is no report on the function of IAG peptide in vivo. In order to characterize P. virginalis IAG, we chemically synthesized it and evaluated its biological function in vivo. A and B chains were prepared by the ordinary solid-phase peptide synthesis, and three disulfide bonds were formed regioselectively by dimethyl sulfoxide oxidation, pyridylsulfenyl-directed thiolysis and iodine oxidation reactions. An IAG disulfide isomer was also prepared by the same manner. Circular dichroism spectral analysis revealed that the disulfide bond arrangement affected the peptide conformation, which was similar to the other insulin-family peptides analyzed so far. On the other hand, the glycan moiety attached at the B chain had no effect on the peptide secondary structure. Injection of the synthetic IAG and its disulfide isomer to female crayfish did not induce male characteristics on the external morphology, but both peptides suppressed the oocyte maturation in vivo. These results suggest that IAG has a pivotal role on the suppression of female secondary sex characteristics.
Topics: Androgens; Animals; Astacoidea; Female; Insulin; Male; Sex Differentiation; Solid-Phase Synthesis Techniques
PubMed: 35298963
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105738