Abstract
Chinese mitten crab (CMC) or Eriocheir sinensis is a strong osmoregulator that can keep rigorous cellular homeostasis. CMC can flourish in freshwater, as well as seawater, habitats and represents the most important species for freshwater aquaculture. Salt stress can have direct effects on several stages (e.g., reproduction, molting, growth, etc.) of the CMC life cycle. To get a better overview of the genes involved in the gills of CMC under different salinity conditions, we conducted an RNA-Seq meta-analysis on the transcriptomes of four publicly available datasets. The meta-analysis identified 405 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs), of which 40% were classified into various transporter classes, including accessory factors and primary active transporters as the major transport classes. A network analysis of the DETs revealed that adaptation to salinity is a highly regulated mechanism in which different functional modules play essential roles. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to conduct a transcriptome meta-analysis of gills from crab RNA-Seq datasets under salinity. Additionally, this study is also the first to focus on the differential expression of diverse transporters and channels (transportome) in CMC. Our meta-analysis opens new avenues for a better understanding of the osmoregulation mechanism and the selection of potential transporters associated with salinity change.
Highlights
IntroductionChinese mitten crab (CMC), known as Eriocheir sinensis, is a freshwater crab native to China and found as an invasive species in Europe and the United States of America (USA) [1]
We performed the first comprehensive meta-analysis of four separate RNA-Seq studies involving the gills of Chinese mitten crab (CMC) under variable salinity conditions to get an overview of their gene expression profiles and, to identify novel or more reliable genes associated with salinity change
Many of the transport classification (TC) 9 transporters are grouped together with TC 8 transporters (Figure 5), suggesting that some of these may either be assigned to the TC 8 category or, probably, they might carry out the transport-related functions in coordination. In this meta-analysis of RNA-Seq data, we successfully identified a number of transcripts whose expressions were apparently altered in the gills of Chinese mitten crabs in response to ambient changes in the salinity conditions
Summary
Chinese mitten crab (CMC), known as Eriocheir sinensis, is a freshwater crab native to China and found as an invasive species in Europe and the United States of America (USA) [1]. CMC can regulate the osmotic concentration of its hemolymph so that it can better adjust to the new saline environment [4]. These unique features make CMC a model organism among crustaceans to study the mechanism of osmoregulation under varying salinity conditions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
