Uncovering mechanisms of global ocean change effects on the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) through metabolomics analysis

Abstract

The Dungeness crab is an economically and ecologically important species distributed along the North American Pacific coast. To predict how Dungeness crab may physiologically respond to future global ocean change on a molecular level, we performed untargeted metabolomic approaches on individual Dungeness crab juveniles reared in treatments that mimicked current and projected future pH and dissolved oxygen conditions. We found 94 metabolites and 127 lipids responded in a condition-specific manner, with a greater number of known compounds more strongly responding to low oxygen than low pH exposure. Pathway analysis of these compounds revealed that juveniles may respond to low oxygen through evolutionarily conserved processes including downregulating glutathione biosynthesis and upregulating glycogen storage, and may respond to low pH by increasing ATP production. Most interestingly, we found that the response of juveniles to combined low pH and low oxygen exposure was most similar to the low oxygen exposure response, indicating low oxygen may drive the physiology of juvenile crabs more than pH. Our study elucidates metabolic dynamics that expand our overall understanding of how the species might respond to future ocean conditions and provides a comprehensive dataset that could be used in future ocean acidification response studies.

Temporal proteomic profiling reveals insight into critical developmental processes and temperature-influenced physiological response differences in a bivalve mollusc

“…Nevertheless, deeper proteomic profiling of a broader sampling throughout metamorphosis and including temperature as a factor would bring more resolution to physiological processes occurring over time and those affected by temperature. Although untargeted large-scale multi-factor proteome studies pose the challenge of identifying core biological responses in the accompanying large complex datasets, applying multiple statistical approaches can reduce complexity of a large dataset to identify potential targets for diagnostics [ 23 , 24 ]. New analyses have been developed to consider temporal influences on multivariate datasets (e.g.…”

Metabolic reprogramming in crustaceans: A vital immune and environmental response strategy

“…115 Given that glucose consumption increases with oxygen supply, 116 most crustaceans turn off normal energy conservation pathways under hypoxic conditions to decrease glutathione biosynthesis and increase glycogen storage. 114…”

“…113 Similarly, under hypoxic conditions, levels of glutamic acid, maltose and maltotriose increased in juvenile Dungeness crab Cancer magister, whereas 5-methoxytryptamine, butyrolactam, cysteine, homoserine, pipecolinic acid, piperidone, ribose and xanthine levels decreased. 114 Thus, hypoxia stress affects many metabolic pathways, including citrate cycle (TCA cycle), pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, valine, leucine, isoleucine biosynthesis and purine metabolism. 112 Under reduced DO, cellular metabolic changes also result in an increase in the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDK1 and PDK4), enzymes that catalyse oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to increase glycolysis and mannose biosynthesis and oxidative stress responses.…”

“…For instance, in brain tissues of Oriental River prawn ( Macrobrachium nipponense ), lactic acid levels increased significantly during hypoxia, returning to normal after reoxygenation 113 . Similarly, under hypoxic conditions, levels of glutamic acid, maltose and maltotriose increased in juvenile Dungeness crab Cancer magister , whereas 5‐methoxytryptamine, butyrolactam, cysteine, homoserine, pipecolinic acid, piperidone, ribose and xanthine levels decreased 114 . Thus, hypoxia stress affects many metabolic pathways, including citrate cycle (TCA cycle), pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, valine, leucine, isoleucine biosynthesis and purine metabolism 112 .…”

“…Under reduced DO, cellular metabolic changes also result in an increase in the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDK1 and PDK4), enzymes that catalyse oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to increase glycolysis and mannose biosynthesis and oxidative stress responses 115 . Given that glucose consumption increases with oxygen supply, 116 most crustaceans turn off normal energy conservation pathways under hypoxic conditions to decrease glutathione biosynthesis and increase glycogen storage 114 …”