Evidences for Red Pigment Concentrating Hormone (RPCH) and Beta-Pigment Dispersing Hormone (β-PDH) Inducing Oocyte Meiotic Maturation in the Chinese Mitten Crab, Eriocheir sinensis

Abstract

Red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH) and pigment dispersing hormone (PDH) are crustacean neuropeptides involved in broad physiological processes including body color changes, circadian rhythm, and ovarian growth. In this study, the full-length cDNA of RPCH and PDH were identified from the brain of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. The deduced RPCH and PDH mature peptides shared identical sequence to the adipokinetic hormone/RPCH peptides family and the β-PDH isoforms and were designated as Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH, respectively. Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH transcripts were distributed in the brain and eyestalks. The positive signals of Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH were localized in the neuronal clusters 6, 8, 9, 10, and 17 of the brain as revealed by in situ hybridization. The expression level of Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH mRNA in nervous tissues were all significantly increased at vitellogenic stage, and then decreased at the final meiotic maturation stage. The administrated with synthesized Es-RPCH peptide results in germinal vesicles shift toward the plasma membrane in vitellogenic oocyte, and significant decrease of the gonad-somatic index (GSI) and mean oocyte diameter as well as the expression of vitellogenin mRNA at 30 days post injection in vivo. Similar results were also found when injection of the Es-β-PDH peptide. In vitro culture demonstrated that Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH induced germinal vesicle breakdown of the late vitellogenic oocytes. Comparative ovarian transcriptome analysis indicated that some reproduction/meiosis-related genes such as cdc2 kinase, cyclin B, 5-HT-R and retinoid-X receptor were significantly upregulated in response to Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH treatments. Taken together, these results provided the evidence for the inductive effect of Es-RPCH and Es-β-PDH on the oocyte meiotic maturation in E. sinensis.

Dual roles of crustacean female sex hormone during juvenile stage in the kuruma prawnMarsupenaeus japonicus

“…This process is regulated by neurosecretory peptides and involves an increase in intracellular calcium (Ribeiro and McNamara, 2007). Red pigmentconcentrating hormone (RPCH) and pigment-dispersing hormone (PDH) are crustacean 13 neuropeptides that are involved in a variety of physiological processes, including body color changes in decapods (Ohira et al, 2002;Wei et al, 2021). RPCH influences the concentration of pigment chromatophores, causing drastic body color changes in crustacean species.…”

Effects of Long-Term High Carbonate Alkalinity Stress on the Ovarian Development in Exopalaemon carinicauda

“…The PDH may participate in vitellogenesis according to their spatiotemporal expression patterns, which maintained a high level from the pre−vitellogenesis stage and decreased significantly in the mature stage in Scylla paramamosain [64,65]. Wei et al provided evidence of the inductive effect of PDH on oocyte meiotic maturation in E. sinensis [66]. In this study, the PDH was up−regulated in the HC_E group, suggesting that it may participate in the ovarian development of E. carinicauda under high carbonate alkalinity stress.…”

Comparative transcriptomic analysis and validation of the ovary and testis in the ridgetail white prawn (Exopalaemon carinicauda)

“…And this result was further examined by real-time PCR (Figure 6B). Just as meiosis in other species, the complete of ovary meiosis need more time since oogenesis need to accumulate much vitellogenin while the spermatogenesis process doesn't need (Tsukimura, 2001;Wei et al, 2021). Consequently, the cell proliferation and differentiation in testis and ovary of E. carinicauda showed a sexual dimorphism.…”