Division of Chinese soft-shelled turtle intestine with molecular markers is slightly different from the morphological and histological observation.

Abstract

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is a commercially important species in Asian countries. Knowledge of its nutritional requirements and physiology is essential for determining the appropriate content of the feed for this animal. However, the lack of functional characterization of the intestine of this turtle limits the understanding of its absorption and utilization of nutritional materials. To solve this problem, this work utilized anatomical and histological methods to characterize 9 segments sampled along the anterior-posterior axis of the intestine. Furthermore, 9 genes, which have been well documented in the intestine division of mammals and fish, were employed to functionally characterize the 9 sampled segments. Our results suggest that regions covering from the starting site to S3 (position at 29.9% of the total length from the starting of the intestine) are the equivalent of mammalian dedumonen, and those covering S4 (40.2%) and S5 (65.4%), posterior to S8 (92.7%), are the equivalent of the mammalian ileum and the large intestine, respectively. As to the region spaning S6 (81.3%) and S7 (87.3%), its functional equivalent (small intestine or large intestine) may be variable and depends on the functional genes. This molecular characterization in relation to the division of the intestine of Chinese soft-shelled turtle may contribute to the understanding of the nutritional physiology of the turtle, and promote Chinese soft-shelled turtle production.