Abstract
BackgroundThe Fujian oyster Crassostrea angulata is an economically important species that has typical settlement and metamorphosis stages. The development of the oyster involves complex morphological and physiological changes, the molecular mechanisms of which are as yet unclear.ResultsIn this study, changes in proteins were investigated during larval settlement and metamorphosis of Crassostrea angulata using epinephrine induction. Protein abundance and identity were characterized using label-free quantitative proteomics, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/ MS), and Mascot methods. The results showed that more than 50% (764 out of 1471) of the quantified proteins were characterized as differentially expressed. Notably, more than two-thirds of the differentially expressed proteins were down-regulated in epinephrine-induced larvae. The results showed that “metabolic process” was closely related to the development of settlement and metamorphosis; 5 × 10− 4 M epinephrine induced direct metamorphosis of larvae and was non-toxic. Calmodulin and MAPK pathways were involved in the regulation of settlement of the oyster. Expression levels of immune-related proteins increased during metamorphosis. Hepatic lectin-like proteins, cadherins, calmodulin, calreticulin, and cytoskeletal proteins were involved in metamorphosis. The nervous system may be remodeled in larval metamorphosis induced by epinephrine. Expression levels of proteins that were enriched in the epinephrine signaling pathway may reflect the developmental stage of the larvae, that may reflect whether or not larvae were directly involved in metamorphosis when the larvae were treated with epinephrine.ConclusionThe study provides insight into proteins that function in energy metabolism, immune responses, settlement and metamorphosis, and shell formation in C. angulata. The results contribute valuable information for further research on larval settlement and metamorphosis.Graphical abstract
Highlights
The Fujian oyster Crassostrea angulata is an economically important species that has typical settlement and metamorphosis stages
The relative molecular weights of the identified proteins were mainly distributed in the range of 10–60 kDa, of which 20–30 kDa was the largest group (Supplementary Fig. 2A), accounting for 17.3%; Supplementary Fig. 2B showed that the length of the identified peptide segments was mainly distributed in 10–18 kDa, of which 11–14 kDa was the largest group, accounting for 35.0%
The proteins related to the epinephrine pathway were at higher expression levels in pediveligers (PL), and the expression of those proteins may reflect the developmental stage of the larvae, as this stage was directly involved in metamorphosis when the larvae were treated with epinephrine
Summary
The Fujian oyster Crassostrea angulata is an economically important species that has typical settlement and metamorphosis stages. The Fujian oyster Crassostrea angulata accounts for about 50% of the total oyster production in China [2, 3]. Size and age at reproduction of the offspring may have important consequences for population dynamics and demography [6]; larval developmental plasticity is a crucial source of variation and can directly influence the evolution of populations and species in adult phenotypes [7, 8]. Larval settlement and metamorphosis are importmant transition periods associated with the evolution of mollusks, and these factors impact population distribution, phenotypic differentiation, and speciation [10, 11]. Metamorphosis is a crucial step for the aquaculture facility, because oysters that have successfully settled usually show increased survival
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