Abstract
The objective was to evaluate the modulation of gene expression of insulin-like receptor (a receptor with a fundamental role in insulin-signalling pathway) in response to feeding in the bivalve Mesodesma donacium. A partial sequence of insulin-like receptor gene (MdIR) was identified and evaluated in five tissues: mantle, foot, gonad, digestive gland and gill, by qPCR analysis. MdIR expression was evaluated in two experimental groups either constantly fed with Isochrysis galbana or starved for 20 d. The molecular characterization of MdIR revealed a partial sequence of 767 bp and two conserved catalytic sites. The qPCR analysis showed higher levels of expression in the digestive gland over other tissues. Additionally, the clams constantly fed with microalgae showed higher transcripts levels of MdIR than those subjected to starvation. The results support the hypothesis that the insulin-like receptor is activated in response to feeding activities and associated metabolism in M. donacium, which could be used for evaluating growing and reproduction conditions in bivalves.
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