New insights for the regulatory feedback loop between type 1 crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH-1) and insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) in the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

Abstract

To clarify the hormone control on sex determination and differentiation, we studied the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis (Henri Milne Edwards, 1854), a species with importantly economic and ecological significance. The crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH) and the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) have been found to be related to the sex determination and/or differentiation. CFSH-1 of E. sinensis (EsCFSH-1) encoded a 227 amino-acid protein including a signal peptide, a CFSH-precursor-related peptide, and a mature CFSH peptide. Normally, EsCFSH-1 was highly expressed in the eyestalk ganglion of adult female crabs, while the expression was declined in the intersex crabs (genetic females). The intersex crabs had the androgenic glands, and the expression level of EsIAG was close to that of male crabs. During the embryogenesis and larval development, the changes of EsCFSH-1 and EsIAG genes expression in male and female individuals were shown after the zoea IV stage. Next, we confirmed the existence of the regulatory feedback loop between EsCFSH-1 and EsIAG by RNA interference experiment. The feminization function of EsCFSH-1 was further verified by examining the morphological change of external reproductive organs after EsCFSH-1 knockdown. The findings of this study reveal that the regulatory interplay between CFSH and IAG might play a pivotal role in the process of sex determination and/or differentiation in decapod crustaceans.

Identification of Crustacean Female Sex Hormone Receptor Involved in Sexual Differentiation of a Hermaphroditic Shrimp

“…Previous studies have shown that Lvit-IAG1 and Lvit-IAG2 co-regulate the development of male external phenotypes and spermatogenesis in PSH shrimps, L. vittata [11]. As IAG is regulated by type I CFSH through a negative feedback loop in both dioecious and hermaphrodite crustaceans [10,23], male sexual differentiation is also negatively regulated by CFSH1b in L. vittata [10]. The present results demonstrate that Lvit-IL-17R negatively regulates male sexual differentiation in this species.…”

“…In both dioecious and hermaphrodite crustaceans, IAG and CFSH play pivotal roles in sexual differentiation [9][10][11]22,23]. IAG receptors have been identified in several crustacean species [18][19][20][21].…”

“…On the other hand, CFSH is a neurohormone that was first identified in Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) [22]. This hormone regulates the development of female secondary sexual phenotypes, as demonstrated in Atlantic blue crabs (C. sapidus), Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) and peppermint shrimps (Lysmata vittata) [10,22,23]. With the rapid advancement in sequencing technology, CFSH transcripts have been identified in various species [24][25][26][27][28][29][30].…”

Analyses of the Dmrt family in a decapod crab, Eriocheir sinensis uncover new facets on the evolution of DM domain genes

“…The integrity of the RNA was determined with the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies, United States). Besides, chimeric crabs, collected in local crab farms, are genetically females whereas exhibit male characteristics such as AG and male gonopods (Zhu et al, 2022).…”

Eriocheir sinensis feminization-1c (Fem-1c) and Its Predicted miRNAs Involved in Sexual Development and Regulation

“…After 24 h, mature crabs were sampled for qRT-PCR, including the eyestalk ganglion and ovary in females and testis and AG in male crabs. To analyze the molecular function of dsRNA EsFem-1c, IAG (GenBank ID: KU724192.1) and crustacean female sex hormone 1 (CFSH-1) (GenBank ID: OP351640) genes of E. sinensis were detected [40].…”