Starch supplementation modulates amylase enzymatic properties and amylase B mRNA level in the digestive gland of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

On the horns of a dilemma: Evaluation of synthetic and natural textile microfibre effects on the physiology of the pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

Fast fashion and our daily use of fibrous materials cause a massive release of microfibres (MF) into the oceans. Although MF pollution is commonly linked to plastics, the vast majority of collected MF are made from natural materials (e.g. cellulose). We investigated the effects of 96-h exposure to natural (wool, cotton, organic cotton) and synthetic (acrylic, nylon, polyester) textile MF and their associated chemical additives on the capacity of Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas to ingest MF and the effects of MF and their leachates on key molecular and cellular endpoints. Digestive and glycolytic enzyme activities and immune and detoxification responses were determined at cellular (haemocyte viability, ROS production, ABC pump activity) and molecular (Ikb1, Ikb2, caspase 1 and EcSOD expression) levels, considering environmentally relevant (10 MF L^-1) and worst-case scenarios (10 000 MF L^-1). Ingestion of natural MF perturbed oyster digestive and immune functions, but synthetic MF had few effects, supposedly related with fibers weaving rather than the material itself. No concentration effects were found, suggesting that an environmental dose of MF is sufficient to trigger these responses. Leachate exposure had minimal effects on oyster physiology. These results suggest that the manufacture of the fibres and their characteristics could be the major factors of MF toxicity and stress the need to consider both natural and synthetic particles and their leachates to thoroughly evaluate the impact of anthropogenic debris. Environmental Implication. Microfibres (MF) are omnipresent in the world oceans with around 2 million tons released every year, resulting in their ingestion by a wide array of marine organisms. In the ocean, a domination of natural MF- representing more than 80% of collected fibres-over synthetic ones was observed. Despite MF pervasiveness, research on their impact on marine organisms, is still in its infancy. The current study aims to investigate the effects of environmental concentrations of both synthetic and natural textile MF and their associated leachates on a model filter feeder.

Carbohydrates digestion and metabolism in the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus): biochemical indication for limited carbohydrate utilization

As other spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus is supposed to use preferentially proteins and lipids in energy metabolism, while carbohydrates are well digested but poorly utilized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary carbohydrate level on digestion and metabolism in the spiny lobster P. argus. We used complementary methodologies such as post-feeding flux of nutrients and metabolites, as well as measurements of α-amylase expression and activity in the digestive tract. Lobsters readily digested and absorbed carbohydrates with a time-course that is dependent on their content in diet. Lobster showed higher levels of free glucose and stored glycogen in different tissues as the inclusion of wheat flour increased. Modifications in intermediary metabolism revealed a decrease in amino acids catabolism coupled with a higher use of free glucose as carbohydrates rise up to 20%. However, this effect seems to be limited by the metabolic capacity of lobsters to use more than 20% of carbohydrates in diets. Lobsters were not able to tightly regulate α-amylase expression according to dietary carbohydrate level but exhibited a marked difference in secretion of this enzyme into the gut. Results are discussed to highlight the limitations to increasing carbohydrate utilization by lobsters. Further growout trials are needed to link the presented metabolic profiles with phenotypic outcomes.

Molecular, Biochemical, and Dietary Regulation Features of α-Amylase in a Carnivorous Crustacean, the Spiny Lobster Panulirus argus

Alpha-amylases are ubiquitously distributed throughout microbials, plants and animals. It is widely accepted that omnivorous crustaceans have higher α-amylase activity and number of isoforms than carnivorous, but contradictory results have been obtained in some species, and carnivorous crustaceans have been less studied. In addition, the physiological meaning of α-amylase polymorphism in crustaceans is not well understood. In this work we studied α-amylase in a carnivorous lobster at the gene, transcript, and protein levels. It was showed that α-amylase isoenzyme composition (i.e., phenotype) in lobster determines carbohydrate digestion efficiency. Most frequent α-amylase phenotype has the lowest digestion efficiency, suggesting this is a favoured trait. We revealed that gene and intron loss have occurred in lobster α-amylase, thus lobsters express a single 1830 bp cDNA encoding a highly conserved protein with 513 amino acids. This protein gives rise to two isoenzymes in some individuals by glycosylation but not by limited proteolysis. Only the glycosylated isoenzyme could be purified by chromatography, with biochemical features similar to other animal amylases. High carbohydrate content in diet down-regulates α-amylase gene expression in lobster. However, high α-amylase activity occurs in lobster gastric juice irrespective of diet and was proposed to function as an early sensor of the carbohydrate content of diet to regulate further gene expression. We concluded that gene/isoenzyme simplicity, post-translational modifications and low Km, coupled with a tight regulation of gene expression, have arose during evolution of α-amylase in the carnivorous lobster to control excessive carbohydrate digestion in the presence of an active α-amylase.

Genomic structure of the α-amylase gene in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata and its expression in response to salinity and food concentration

Amylase is one of the most important digestive enzymes for phytophagous animals. In this study, the cDNA, genomic DNA, and promoter region of the α-amylase gene of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata were cloned by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and genome-walking methods. The full-length cDNA sequence was 1704bp long and consisted of a 5'-untranslated region of 17bp, a 3'-untranslated region of 118bp, and a 1569-bp open reading frame encoding a 522-aa polypeptide with a 20-aa signal peptide. Sequence alignment revealed that P. fucata α-amylase (Pfamy) shared the highest identity (91.6%) with Pinctada maxima. The phylogenetic tree showed that it was closely related to P. maxima, based on the amino acid sequences. The genomic DNA was 10850bp and contained nine exons, eight introns, and a promoter region of 3932bp. Several transcriptional factors such as GATA-1, AP-1, and SP1 were predicted in the promoter region. Quantitative RT-PCR assay indicated that the relative expression level of Pfamy was significantly higher in the digestive gland than in other tissues (gonad, gills, muscle, and mantle) (P<0.001). The expression level at salinity 27‰ was significantly higher than that at other salinities (P<0.05). Expression reached a minimum when the algal food concentration was 16×10(4)cells/mL, which was significantly lower than the level observed at 8×10(4)cells/mL and 20×10(4) cells/mL (P<0.05). Our findings provide a genetic basis for further research on Pfamy activity and will facilitate studies on the growth mechanisms and genetic improvement of the pearl oyster P. fucata.

Disruption of amylase genes by RNA interference affects reproduction in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

Feeding strategies and digestive capacities can have important implications for variation in energetic pathways associated with ecological and economically important traits, such as growth or reproduction in bivalve species. Here, we investigated the role of amylase in the digestive processes of Crassostrea gigas, using in vivo RNA interference. This approach also allowed us to investigate the relationship between energy intake by feeding and gametogenesis in oysters. Double-stranded (ds)RNA designed to target the two α-amylase genes A and B was injected in vivo into the visceral mass of oysters at two doses. These treatments caused significant reductions in mean mRNA levels of the amylase genes: -50.7% and -59% mRNA A, and -71.9% and -70.6% mRNA B in 15 and 75 µg dsRNA-injected oysters, respectively, relative to controls. Interestingly, reproductive knock-down phenotypes were observed for both sexes at 48 days post-injection, with a significant reduction of the gonad area (-22.5% relative to controls) and germ cell under-proliferation revealed by histology. In response to the higher dose of dsRNA, we also observed reductions in amylase activity (-53%) and absorption efficiency (-5%). Based on these data, dynamic energy budget modeling showed that the limitation of energy intake by feeding that was induced by injection of amylase dsRNA was insufficient to affect gonadic development at the level observed in the present study. This finding suggests that other driving mechanisms, such as endogenous hormonal modulation, might significantly change energy allocation to reproduction, and increase the maintenance rate in oysters in response to dsRNA injection.