Macrobrachium rosenbergii is the most economically important of the cultured freshwater crustacean species, yet there is currently a deficiency in genomic and transcriptomic information for research requirements. In this study, we present an in silico analysis of neuropeptide genes within the female M. rosenbergii eyestalk, central nervous system, and ovary. We could confidently predict 37 preproneuropeptide transcripts, including those that encode bursicons, crustacean cardioactive peptide, crustacean hyperglycemic hormones, eclosion hormone, pigment-dispersing hormones, diuretic hormones, neuropeptide F, neuroparsins, SIFamide, and sulfakinin. These transcripts are most prominent within the eyestalk and central nervous system. Transcript tissue distribution as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed the presence of selected neuropeptide genes of interest mainly in the nervous tissues while others were additionally present in the non-nervous tissues. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of eyestalk peptides confirmed the presence of the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone precursor. This data set provides a strong foundation for further studies into the functional roles of neuropeptides in M. rosenbergii, and will be especially helpful for developing methods to improve crustacean aquaculture.
In the present study, we demonstrated the existence of GnRH-like peptides in the central nervous system (CNS) and ovary of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii using immunocytochemistry. The immunoreactivity (ir) of lamprey (l) GnRH-III was detected in the soma of medium-sized neurons located in neuronal cluster number 11 in the middle part of supraesophageal ganglion (deutocerebrum), whereas ir-octopus (oct) GnRH was observed in the soma of both medium-sized and large-sized neurons in thoracic ganglia, as well as in the fibers innervating the other medium-sized and large-sized neuronal cell bodies in the thoracic ganglia. In addition, ir-lGnRH-I was observed in the cytoplasm of late previtellogenic oocyte and early vitellogenic oocyte. These data suggest that M. rosenbergii contain at least three isoforms of GnRH: two GnRH isoforms closely related to lGnRH-III and octGnRH in the CNS, whereas another isoform, closely related to lGnRH-I, was localized in the ovary. This finding provides supporting data that ir-GnRH-like peptide(s) may exist in this decapod crustacean.
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