Responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis to bacterial challenges by metabolomics and proteomics

Pathological and oxidative stress responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis to Vibrio mediterranei infection: An in vivo challenge

Since the identification of Vibrio mediterranei as a causative agent in mass mortalities of pen shells across the Mediterranean, elucidating its pathogenicity, virulence, and interactions with other bivalves has gained importance. While the cellular and immune responses of bivalves to various Vibrio species have been extensively studied, the infectious characteristics of this Vibrio species, particularly in the context of pen shell outbreaks, remain unclear for other bivalves. Therefore, to evaluate its pathogenicity, we investigated the histological and oxidative effects on the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), a key species in aquaculture. Two distinct infection setups were established: one involving the inoculation of seawater with the bacterial isolate and another involving direct injection of the bacteria into the mussels. After a 24-h exposure period, histological evaluations were conducted on the mantle, gill, and digestive gland tissues of the mussels. Additionally, measurements of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and lipid peroxidation levels were performed in the gill and digestive gland tissues. Oxidative responses were significantly elevated in both infection setups compared to the control group, with the directly injected samples exhibiting the highest oxidative responses (p < 0.05). Histological findings indicated that tissue-specific responses to host-pathogen interactions were consistent under both infection conditions. Notable observations included intense hemocytic infiltration in tissues, epithelial hyperplasia, and vacuolization in the gills, as well as focal necrotic areas in the digestive gland. The findings of this study indicate that V. mediterranei, a relatively novel pathogen, can provoke significant acute immune responses and tissue-level reactions in M. galloprovincialis, a species that is both widely distributed and vital to the food chain. These insights into the potential susceptibility of mussels underscore the need for further comprehensive research and inform the development of effective management strategies.

Molecular Cloning, Characterization, and Expression of a Receptor for Activated Protein Kinase C1 (RACK1) Gene in Exopalaemon carinicauda Zoea Larvae under Aroclor 1254 Stress

The receptor for activated protein kinase C1 (RACK1) belongs to the typical WD repeat family, which is extremely conservative and important in multiple signal transduction pathways related to growth and development that coordinate the intracellular role of various life activities. As a novel protein with versatile functions, it was found in a variety of organisms. In a previous study, we identified the RACK1 sequence of white shrimp from transcriptome data. In this study, we employed specialized bioinformatics software to conduct an in-depth analysis of EcRACK1 and compare its amino acid sequence homology with other crustaceans. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of RACK1 at different developmental stages and tissues, as well as at various time points after exposure to Aroclor 1245, aiming to elucidate its function and potential response towards Aroclor 1245 exposure. The length of EcRACK1 is 957 nucleotides, which encodes 318 amino acids. Moreover, there were seven typical WD repeats in EcRACK1, which have more than a 96% sequence identity with the RACK1 proteins of Penaeus. The results of tissue expression and spatiotemporal expression showed that it was significantly increased in the II and IV stages, but had a significant tissue specificity in the hepatopancreas, spermary, and muscle tissues of E. carinicauda, adult stage. Compared to the control, EcRACK1 was significantly induced in E. carinicauda zoea larvae exposed to Aroclor 1254 for 6, 10, 20, and 30 d (p < 0.05). These results suggested that EcRACK1 may play an important role in the larval development and environmental defense of E. carinicauda.

The first use of LC-MS/MS proteomic approach in the brown mussel Perna perna after bacterial challenge: Searching for key proteins on immune response

The brown mussel Perna perna is a valuable fishing resource, primarily in tropical and subtropical coastal regions. Because of their filter-feeding habits, mussels are directly exposed to bacteria in the water column. Escherichia coli (EC) and Salmonella enterica (SE) inhabit human guts and reach the marine environment through anthropogenic sources, such as sewage. Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) is indigenous to coastal ecosystems but can be harmful to shellfish. In this study, we aimed to assess the protein profile of the hepatopancreas of P. perna mussel challenged by introduced - E. coli and S. enterica - and indigenous marine bacteria - V. parahaemolyticus. Bacterial-challenge groups were compared with non-injected (NC) and injected control (IC) - that consisted in mussels not challenged and mussels injected with sterile PBS-NaCl, respectively. Through LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis, 3805 proteins were found in the hepatopancreas of P. perna. From the total, 597 were significantly different among conditions. Mussels injected with VP presented 343 proteins downregulated compared with all the other conditions, suggesting that VP suppresses their immune response. Particularly, 31 altered proteins - upregulated or downregulated - for one or more challenge groups (EC, SE, and VP) compared with controls (NC and IC) are discussed in detail in the paper. For the three tested bacteria, significantly different proteins were found to perform critical roles in immune response at all levels, namely: recognition and signal transduction; transcription; RNA processing; translation and protein processing; secretion; and humoral effectors. This is the first shotgun proteomic study in P. perna mussel, therefore providing an overview of the protein profile of the mussel hepatopancreas, focused on the immune response against bacteria. Hence, it is possible to understand the immune-bacteria relationship at molecular levels better. This knowledge can support the development of strategies and tools to be applied to coastal marine resource management and contribute to the sustainability of coastal systems.

Graphene-triphenyl phosphate (TPP) co-exposure in the marine environment: Interference with metabolism and immune regulation in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Both immune regulation and endocrine systems are great challenges to marine organisms, and effective protocols for determining these adverse outcome pathways are limited, especially in vivo. The increasing usage of graphene nanomaterials can lead to the frequent exposure to marine organisms. Triphenyl phosphate (TPP), an organophosphate flame retardant, is frequently detected in natural environments. In this study, the combined toxic effects of co-exposure to graphene and TPP was investigated in Mytilus galloprovincialis using computational toxicology and multi-omics technology. Noticeably, graphene could disturb the membrane stability and increase the tissue accumulation of TPP. The adsorption behavior of TPP on graphene could inhibit the surface activity of graphene. In the digestive gland, transcriptomics analysis revealed the down-regulated genes in graphene + TPP treatment, including glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD), glutathione s-transferase mu 3 (GSTM3) and 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (ABAT), were mainly associated with oxidative stress and energy metabolism. Moreover, metabolic responses indicated that graphene + TPP could cause disturbances in energy metabolism and osmotic regulation marked by differentially altered ATP, glucose and taurine in mussels. These data underline the need for further knowledge on the potential interactions of nanomaterials with existing contaminants in marine organisms.

Proteome Response of Meretrix Bivalves Hepatopancreas Exposed to Paralytic Shellfish Toxins Producing Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) contamination of seafood has become a growing global problem. However, the molecular response of bivalves, some of the most popular seafoods, to PSP toxins has seldom been reported and the underlying molecular mechanisms of the interactions between Meretrix meretrix bivalves and PSTs-producing dinoflagellates are scarcely known. This study compared the protein expression profiles between PSP toxin-contaminated and non-PSP toxin contaminated M. meretrix, determined proteome responses and identified potential biomarkers based on feeding experiments. Results showed that the content of total PSP toxins in contaminated bivalves was 40.63 ± 4.08 μg saxitoxin (STX) equivalents per gram, with 95.3% in hepatopancreas, followed by gill (1.82%) and foot (1.79%). According to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), 15 differentially expressed proteins (at least 2-fold difference) between the hepatopancreas of bivalves with and without PSP toxins were detected. Eight of them were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF MS. These were catalase, protein ultraspiracle homolog, G2 and S phase-expression protein, paramyosin, Mn-superoxide dismutase, response regulator receiver domain-containing protein, sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein and major facilitator superfamily transporters. The differences in the expression levels of the last three proteins involving in cell signaling, structure and membrane transport were 4.2, 5.3 and 4.9-fold, respectively. These proteins could be further developed as potential biomarkers. The other two up-regulated proteins, Mn-superoxide dismutase and catalase, were involved in cell defence mechanisms against oxidative stress, suggesting PSP toxin acts as xenobiotics and poses oxidative stress in bivalves. This study gives insights into the response of bivalves to PSP toxin-producing dinoflagellate at the proteomic level and the potential of using 2-DE to develop specific protein markers in bivalves.

Molecular response of a sub-antarctic population of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis platensis) to a moderate thermal stress

The Kerguelen Islands (49°26'S, 69°50'E) represent a unique environment due to their geographical isolation, which protects them from anthropogenic pollution. The ability of the endemic mussel, part of the Mytilus complex, to cope with moderate heat stress was explored using omic tools. Transcripts involved in six major metabolic functions were selected and the qRT-PCR data indicated mainly changes in aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolism and stress response. Proteomic comparisons revealed a typical stress response pattern with cytoskeleton modifications and elements suggesting increased energy metabolism. Results also suggest conservation of protein homeostasis by the long-lasting presence of HSP while a general decrease in transcription is observed. The overall findings are consistent with an adaptive response to moderate stresses in mussels in good physiological condition, i.e. living in a low-impact site, and with the literature concerning this model species. Therefore, local blue mussels could be advantageously integrated into biomonitoring strategies, especially in the context of Global Change.

Fish Pathology Research and Diagnosis in Aquaculture of Farmed Fish; a Proteomics Perspective

One of the main constraints in aquaculture production is farmed fish vulnerability to diseases due to husbandry practices or external factors like pollution, climate changes, or even the alterations in the dynamic of product transactions in this industry. It is though important to better understand and characterize the intervenients in the process of a disease outbreak as these lead to huge economical losses in aquaculture industries. High-throughput technologies like proteomics can be an important characterization tool especially in pathogen identification and the virulence mechanisms related to host-pathogen interactions on disease research and diagnostics that will help to control, prevent, and treat diseases in farmed fish. Proteomics important role is also maximized by its holistic approach to understanding pathogenesis processes and fish responses to external factors like stress or temperature making it one of the most promising tools for fish pathology research.

Proteomic analysis revealed gender-specific responses of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP) exposure

Trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP) is a halogenated organophosphate ester that is widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers. In this study, gender-specific accumulation and responses in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis to TCPP exposure were focused and highlighted. After TCPP (100 nmol L^-1) exposure for 42 days, male mussels showed similar average bioaccumulation (37.14 ± 6.09 nmol g^-1 fat weight (fw)) of TCPP with that in female mussels (32.28 ± 4.49 nmol g^-1 fw). Proteomic analysis identified 219 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between male and female mussels in control group. There were 52 and 54 DEPs induced by TCPP in male and female mussels, respectively. Interestingly, gender-specific DEPs included 37 and 41 DEPs induced by TCPP in male and female mussels, respectively. The proteomic differences between male and female mussels were related to protein synthesis and degradation, energy metabolism, and functions of cytoskeleton and motor proteins. TCPP influenced protein synthesis, energy metabolism, cytoskeleton functions, immunity, and reproduction in both male and female mussels. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks indicated that protein synthesis and energy metabolism were the main biological processes influenced by TCPP. However, DEPs involved in these processes and their interaction patterns were quite different between male and female mussels. Basically, twelve ribosome DEPs which directly or indirectly interacted were found in protein synthesis in TCPP-exposed male mussels, while only 3 ribosome DEPs (not interacted) in TCPP-exposed female mussels. In energy metabolism, only 4 DEPs (with the relatively simple interaction pattern) mainly resided in fatty acid metabolism, butanoate/propanoate metabolism and glucose metabolism were discovered in TCPP-exposed male mussels, and more DEPs (with multiple interactions) functioned in TCA cycle and pyruvate/glyoxylate/dicarboxylate metabolism were found in TCCP-exposed female mussels. Taken together, TCPP induced gender-specific toxicological effects in mussels, which may shed new lights on further understanding the toxicological mechanisms of TCPP in aquatic organisms.

The Effect of Pedal Peptide-Type Neuropeptide on Locomotor Behavior and Muscle Physiology in the Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Neuropeptides are endogenous active substances that are present in nervous tissues and participate in behavioral and physiological processes of the animal system. Locomotor behavior is basic to predation, escape, reproduction in animals, and neuropeptides play an important role in locomotion. In this study, the function of pedal peptide-type neuropeptide (PDP) in the process of locomotor behavior of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus was evaluated. The locomotor behavior of A. japonicus was recorded by infrared camera before and after PDP administration, and muscle physiology was studied by ultra performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-off-light mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) to clarify the potential physiological mechanisms. The results showed that PDP enhanced the cumulative duration of moving significantly at the 7th h after injection, and reduced the mean and maximum velocity by 16.90 and 14.22% in A. japonicus. The data of muscle metabolomics suggested that some significantly changed metabolites were related to locomotor behavior of sea cucumbers. The decreases of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) might result in the increases of lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (lysoPE), and suggested the change of fluidity and permeability in the muscle cell membrane, which would affect the physiology and function of muscle cells, and finally alter the locomotor behavior. In addition, the increased level of arachidonic acid (ARA) might activate K⁺ ion channels and then affect the signaling of muscle cells, or promote the sensitivity of muscle cells to Ca²⁺ and then result in the contractility of longitudinal muscles in sea cucumbers. ARA was also involved in the linoleic acid metabolism which was the only pathway that disturbed significantly after PDP administration. In conclusion, PDP participated in the regulation of locomotor behavior in the sea cucumber, and the decreased PE and PC, increased lysoPC, lysoPE and ARA might be the potential physiological mechanisms that responsible for behavioral effects of PDP in A. japonicus.

Salt stress induced differential metabolic responses in the sprouting tubers of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.)

To better understand the mechanism of inherent salt resistance in Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.), physiological and metabolic responses of tubers at the initiation stage of sprouting under different salt stress levels were evaluated in the present study. As a result, 28 metabolites were identified using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy. Jerusalem artichoke tubers showed minor changes in metabolic response under moderate salt stress when they had not yet sprouted, where metabolism was downregulated at the start of sprouting and then upregulated significantly after plants became autotrophic. However, mild and severe salt stress levels caused different metabolic response patterns. In addition, the accumulation of fructose and sucrose was enhanced by moderate salt stress, while glucose was highly consumed. Aspartate and asparagine showed accelerated accumulation in sprouting Jerusalem artichoke tubers that became autotrophic, suggesting the enhancement of photosynthesis by moderate salt stress.

Vibrio harveyi Infection Significantly Alters Amino Acid and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Whiteleg Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

Vibrio harveyi is one of the pathogens that threaten the shrimp farming industry. However, metabolic changes induced by V. harveyi infection in shrimp remain unknown. In this study, we first conducted high resolution-magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics studies on gill, hepatopancreas, and haemolymph of V. harveyi-infected white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Using multivariate statistical analysis, we observed a clear separation between the early (3 and 9 h post-injection (hpi)) and late phases (24, 72 and 144 hpi) of the infection in all tissues. Moreover, metabolic changes in response to V. harveyi infection were faster in the haemolymph in the early phase and significantly changed in the late phase of the infection in the gills. Extensive changes were observed in the hepatopancreas, with 24 hpi being the turning point of progression from early to late phase infection in the hepatopancreas. V. harveyi infection increased the energy demand in L. vannamei and the amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways also exhibited significant changes depending on the tissue. Thus, each tissue displayed different metabolic changes, depending on the progress of the infection.

Proteomic similarity of the Littorinid snails in the evolutionary context

BACKGROUND

The introduction of DNA-based molecular markers made a revolution in biological systematics. However, in cases of very recent divergence events, the neutral divergence may be too slow, and the analysis of adaptive part of the genome is more informative to reconstruct the recent evolutionary history of young species. The advantage of proteomics is its ability to reflect the biochemical machinery of life. It may help both to identify rapidly evolving genes and to interpret their functions.

METHODS

Here we applied a comparative gel-based proteomic analysis to several species from the gastropod family Littorinidae. Proteomes were clustered to assess differences related to species, geographic location, sex and body part, using data on presence/absence of proteins in samples and data on protein occurrence frequency in samples of different species. Cluster support was assessed using multiscale bootstrap resampling and the stability of clustering-using cluster-wise index of cluster stability. Taxon-specific protein markers were derived using IndVal method. Proteomic trees were compared to consensus phylogenetic tree (based on neutral genetic markers) using estimates of the Robinson-Foulds distance, the Fowlkes-Mallows index and cophenetic correlation.

RESULTS

Overall, the DNA-based phylogenetic tree and the proteomic similarity tree had consistent topologies. Further, we observed some interesting deviations of the proteomic littorinid tree from the neutral expectations. (1) There were signs of molecular parallelism in two Littoraria species that phylogenetically are quite distant, but live in similar habitats. (2) Proteome divergence was unexpectedly high between very closely related Littorina fabalis and L. obtusata, possibly reflecting their ecology-driven divergence. (3) Conservative house-keeping proteins were usually identified as markers for cryptic species groups ("saxatilis" and "obtusata" groups in the Littorina genus) and for genera (Littoraria and Echinolittorina species pairs), while metabolic enzymes and stress-related proteins (both potentially adaptively important) were often identified as markers supporting species branches. (4) In all five Littorina species British populations were separated from the European mainland populations, possibly reflecting their recent phylogeographic history. Altogether our study shows that proteomic data, when interpreted in the context of DNA-based phylogeny, can bring additional information on the evolutionary history of species.

Responses of marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) after infection with the pathogen Vibrio splendidus

Bivalve molluscs possess effective cellular and humoral defence mechanisms against bacterial infection. Although the immune responses of mussels to challenge with pathogenic vibrios have been largely investigated, the effects at the site of injection at the tissue level have not been so far evaluated. To this aim, mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were herein in vivo challenged with Vibrio splendidus to assess the responses induced in hemolymph and posterior adductor muscle (PAM), being the site of bacterial infection. The number of living intra-hemocyte bacteria increased after the first hour post-injection (p.i.), suggesting the occurrence of an intense phagocytosis, while clearance was observed within 24 h p.i. A recruitment of hemocytes at the injection site was found in mussel PAM, together with marked morphological changes in the volume of muscular fibers, with a recovery of muscle tissue organization after 48 h p.i. A concomitant impairment in the osmoregulatory processes were observed in PAM by an initial inhibition of aquaporins and increased immunopositivity of Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase ionic pump, strictly related to the histological alterations and hemocyte infiltration detected in PAM. Accordingly, an intense cell turnover activity was also recorded following the infection event. Overall, results indicated the hemolymph as the system responsible for the physiological adaptations in mussels to stressful factors, such as pathogenicity, for the maintenance of homeostasis and immune defence. Also, the osmotic balance and cell turnover can be used as objective diagnostic criteria to evaluate the physiological state of mussels following bacterial infection, which may be relevant in aquaculture and biomonitoring studies.

Proteomic profile of Ostrea edulis haemolymph in response to bonamiosis and identification of candidate proteins as resistance markers

European flat oyster Ostrea edulis populations have suffered extensive mortalities caused by bonamiosis. The protozoan parasite Bonamia ostreae is largely responsible for this disease in Europe, while its congener B. exitiosa has been detected more recently in various European countries. Both of these intracellular parasites are able to survive and proliferate within haemocytes, the main cellular effectors of the immune system in molluscs. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was used to compare the haemolymph protein profile between Bonamia spp.-infected and non-infected oysters within 3 different stocks, a Galician stock of oysters selected for resistance against bonamiosis, a non-selected Galician stock and a selected Irish stock. Thirty-four proteins with a presumably relevant role in the oyster-Bonamia spp. interaction were identified; they were involved in major metabolic pathways, such as energy production, respiratory chain, oxidative stress, signal transduction, transcription, translation, protein degradation and cell defence. Furthermore, the haemolymph proteomic profiles of the non-infected oysters of the 2 Galician stocks were compared. As a result, 7 proteins representative of the non-infected Galician oysters selected for resistance against bonamiosis were identified; these 7 proteins could be considered as candidate markers of resistance to bonamiosis, which should be further assessed.

Toxic responses of Perna viridis hepatopancreas exposed to DDT, benzo(a)pyrene and their mixture uncovered by iTRAQ-based proteomics and NMR-based metabolomics

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) are environmental estrogens (EEs) that are ubiquitous in the marine environment. In the present study, we integrated isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic approaches to explore the toxic responses of green mussel hepatopancreas exposed to DDT (10μg/L), BaP (10μg/L) and their mixture. The metabolic responses indicated that BaP primarily disturbed energy metabolism and osmotic regulation in the hepatopancreas of the male green mussel P. viridis. Both DDT and the mixture of DDT and BaP perturbed the energy metabolism and osmotic regulation in P. viridis. The proteomic responses revealed that BaP affected the proteins involved in energy metabolism, material transformation, cytoskeleton, stress responses, reproduction and development in green mussels. DDT exposure could change the proteins involved in primary metabolism, stress responses, cytoskeleton and signal transduction. However, the mixture of DDT and BaP altered proteins associated with material and energy metabolism, stress responses, signal transduction, reproduction and development, cytoskeleton and apoptosis. This study showed that iTRAQ-based proteomic and NMR-based metabolomic approaches could effectively elucidate the essential molecular mechanism of disturbances in hepatopancreas function of green mussels exposed to environmental estrogens.

Gender-specific metabolic responses in gonad of mussel Perna viridis to triazophos

Triazophos, as a lipophilic organophosphate pesticide, displays higher bioaccumulation in the gonads of shellfish. To study the reproductive toxicity of triazophos, we applied metabolomics to characterize the gender-specific metabolic responses in mussel Perna viridis exposed to triazophos. Metabolites were differently altered by triazophos in ovaries of mussel at different concentrations and time intervals, while basically similar metabolic response patterns were observed in male mussels at the two tested concentrations after exposure for 24 and 48h. The significant changes of metabolites in ovaries of mussel exhibited the disturbances in energy metabolism and osmotic regulation, while in male samples triazophos only affected the energy metabolism. Moreover, glycine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, ethanol, aspartate, etc. exhibited consistent variation tendency in both male and female individuals. While the changes of homarine, betaine, taurine, hypotaurine, malonate, β-alanine, succinate, and choline showed obviously gender-specific responses. Overall, this study confirmed the gender-specific responses in gonad of P. viridis to triazophos exposure.

Effects of chronic high stocking density on liver proteome of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The main aim of the present study was to assess the effects of chronic high stocking density on liver proteome of rainbow trout. Rainbow trout juveniles (42.6 ± 2.3 g average body weight) were randomly distributed into six tanks at two stocking densities (low stocking density (LD) = 20 kg m^-3 and high stocking density (HD) = 80 kg m^-3). Both treatments were performed in triplicate tanks for a period of 60 days. High stocking density caused a reduction in the growth performance compared with LD fish. Lysozyme activity increased with stocking density, while serum complement activity presented the opposite pattern. Serum cortisol and total protein levels did not show significant differences (P > 0.05) between experimental groups. The fish reared at high stocking density showed significantly lower osmolality and globulin values but higher albumin level. The HD group had significantly higher activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde content in the liver when compared to the LD group. Comparative proteomics was used to determine the proteomic responses in livers of rainbow trout reared at high stocking density for 60 days. Out of nine protein spots showing altered abundance (>1.5-folds, P < 0.05), eight spots were successfully identified. Two proteins including apolipoprotein A-I-2 precursor and mitochondrial stress-70 protein were found to increase in HD group. The spots found to decrease in the HD group were identified as follows: 2-peptidylprolyl isomerase A, two isoforms of glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, an unnamed protein product similar to fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein, and serum albumin 1 protein.

Effects of hypoxia in the gills of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum using NMR-based metabolomics

Coastal hypoxia affects the survival, behavior, and reproduction of individual local marine organisms, and the abundance, biomass, and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the chronic effects of hypoxia on the metabolomics in the gills of Ruditapes (R.) philippinarum. The results indicated significant alterations in the metabolite profiles in the gills of the hypoxia-treated clams, in comparison with those maintained under normoxia. The levels of betaine, taurine, glycine, isoleucine, and alanine were significantly reduced, suggesting a disturbance of osmotic balance associated with hypoxia. Meanwhile, metabolites involved in energy metabolism, such as alanine and succinate, were also affected. Dramatic histopathological changes were observed in the gills and hepatopancreases of R. philippinarum grown in hypoxic waters, demonstrating tissue damages apparently caused by long-term exposure to hypoxia. Our findings suggest that hypoxia significantly affects the physiology of R. philippinarum, even at a sub-lethal level, and impedes health of the clams.

Metabolic responses of Haliotis diversicolor to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection

Vibrio parahemolyticus is a devastating bacterial pathogen that often causes outbreak of vibriosis in abalone Haliotis diversicolor. Elucidation of metabolic mechanisms of abalones in responding to V. parahemolyticus infection is essential for controlling the epidemic. In this work, ¹H NMR-based metabolomic techniques along with correlation and network analyses are used to investigate characteristic metabolites, as well as corresponding disturbed pathways in hepatopancreas and gill of H. diversicolor after V. parahemolyticus infection for 48 h. Results indicate that obvious gender- and tissue-specific metabolic responses are induced. Metabolic responses in female abalones are more clearly observed than those in males, which are primarily manifested in the accumulation of branched-chain amino acids and the depletion of organic osmolytes (homarine, betaine and taurine) in the infected gills of female abalones, as well as in the depletion of glutamate, branched-chain and aromatic amino acids in the infected hepatopancreases of female abalones. Moreover, based on major metabolic functions of the characteristic metabolites, we have found that V. parahemolyticus infection not only cause the disturbance in energy metabolism, nucleotide metabolism and osmotic balance, but also induce oxidative stress, immune stress and neurotoxic effect in different tissues with various mechanisms. Our study provides details of metabolic responses of abalones to V. parahemolyticus infection and will shed light on biochemical defence mechanisms of male and female hosts against pathogen infection.

Toxicological proteomic responses of halophyte Suaeda salsa to lead and zinc

The long term (30 days) toxicological effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of Pb²⁺ (20μg/L) and Zn²⁺ (100μg/L) were characterized in Suaeda salsa using proteomics techniques. The responsive proteins were related to metabolism (Krebs cycle and Calvin cycle), protein biosynthesis, stress and defense, energy, signaling pathway and photosynthesis in Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Pb²⁺+ Zn²⁺ exposed groups in S. salsa after exposures for 30 days. The proteomic profiles also showed differential responses in S. salsa to metal exposures. In Pb²⁺-treated group, the proteins were categorized into cystein metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. The responsive proteins were basically involved in glutathione metabolism, glycolysis, cystein and methane metabolism, and voltage-dependent anion channel in Zn²⁺-treated group. In Pb²⁺+ Zn²⁺-treated group, the proecular mechanism at protein level remtein responses were devided into tyrosine metabolism and glycolysis. Our results showed that the two typical heavy metals, lead and zinc, could induce toxicological effects in halophyte S. salsa at protein level.

Transcriptomic responses of Perna viridis embryo to Benzo(a)pyrene exposure elucidated by RNA sequencing

The green mussel Perna viridis is an ideal biomonitor to evaluate marine environmental pollution. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), which is well known for the mutagenic and carcinogenic characteristics. However, the toxicological effects of BaP on Perna viridis embryo are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the embryo transcriptomic profile of Perna viridis treated with BaP via digital gene expression analysis. A total of 92,362,742 reads were produced from two groups (control and BaP exposure) by whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were used on all genes to determine the biological functions and processes. Genes involved in various molecular pathways of toxicological effects were enriched further. The differential expression genes (DEGs) were related to stress response, infectious disease and innate immunity. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) measured expressional levels of six genes confirmed through the DGE analysis. This study reveals that RNA-seq for transcriptome profiling of P. viridis embryo can better understand the embryo toxic effects of BaP. Furthermore, it also suggests that RNA-seq is a superior tool for generating novel and valuable information for revealing the toxic effects caused by BaP at transcriptional level.

Identification of interacting proteins with aryl hydrocarbon receptor in scallop Chlamys farreri by yeast two hybrid screening

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) belongs to the basic-helix-loop helix (bHLH) Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) family of transcription factors. AhR has been known primarily for its role in the regulation of several drug and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, as well as the mediation of the toxicity of certain xenobiotics, including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Although the AhR is well-studied as a mediator of the toxicity of certain xenobiotics in marine bivalves, the normal physiological function remains unknown. In order to explore the function of the AhR, the bait protein expression plasmid pGBKT7-CfAhR and the cDNA library of gill from Chlamys farreri were constructed. By yeast two hybrid system, after multiple screening with the high screening rate medium, rotary verification, sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, the interactions of the CfAhR with receptor for activated protein kinase C 1 (RACK1), thyroid peroxidase-like protein (TPO), Toll-like receptor 4(TLR 4), androglobin-like, store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SocE), ADP/ATP carrier protein, cytochrome b, thioesterase, actin, ferritin subunit 1, poly-ubiquitin, short-chain collagen C4-like and one hypothetical protein in gill cells were identified. This study suggests that the CfAhR played fundamental roles in immune system homeostasis, oxidative stress response, and in grow and development of C. farreri. The elucidation of these protein interactions is of much importance both in understanding the normal physiological function of AhR, and as potential targets for further research on protein function in AhR interactions.

Pathogenic marine microbes influence the effects of climate change on a commercially important tropical bivalve

There is growing evidence that climate change will increase the prevalence of toxic algae and harmful bacteria, which can accumulate in marine bivalves. However, we know little about any possible interactions between exposure to these microorganisms and the effects of climate change on bivalve health, or about how this may affect the bivalve toxin-pathogen load. In mesocosm experiments, mussels, Perna viridis, were subjected to simulated climate change (warming and/or hyposalinity) and exposed to harmful bacteria and/or toxin-producing dinoflagellates. We found significant interactions between climate change and these microbes on metabolic and/or immunobiological function and toxin-pathogen load in mussels. Surprisingly, however, these effects were virtually eliminated when mussels were exposed to both harmful microorganisms simultaneously. This study is the first to examine the effects of climate change on determining mussel toxin-pathogen load in an ecologically relevant, multi-trophic context. The results may have considerable implications for seafood safety.

Proteomic responses reveal the differential effects induced by cadmium in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis at early life stages

Cadmium (Cd) has become an important metal contaminant and posed severe risk on the organisms in the coastal environments of the Bohai Sea. Marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is widely distributed along the Bohai coast and consumed as seafood by local residents. Evidences indicate that the early stages of marine organisms are more sensitive to metal contaminants. In this study, we applied two-dimensional electrophoresis-based proteomics to characterize the biological effects of Cd (50 μg L(-1)) in the early life stages (D-shape larval and juvenile) of mussels. The different proteomic responses demonstrated the differential responsive mechanisms to Cd exposure in these two early life stages of mussels. In details, results indicated that Cd mainly induced immune and oxidative stresses in both D-shape larval and juvenile mussels via different pathways. In addition, the significant up-regulation of triosephosphate isomerase and metallothionein confirmed the enhanced energy demand and mobilized detoxification mechanism in D-shape larval mussels exposed to Cd. In juvenile mussels, Cd exposure also induced clear apoptosis. Overall, this work suggests that Cd is a potential immune toxicant to mussel M. galloprovincialis at early life stages.

The interactive effects of mercury and selenium on metabolic profiles, gene expression and antioxidant enzymes in halophyte Suaeda salsa

Suaeda salsa is the pioneer halophyte in the Yellow River Delta and was consumed as a popular vegetable. Mercury has become a highly risky contaminant in the sediment of intertidal zones of the Yellow River Delta. In this work, we investigated the interactive effects of mercury and selenium in S. salsa on the basis of metabolic profiling, antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expression quantification. Our results showed that mercury exposure (20 μg L(-1)) inhibited plant growth of S. salsa and induced significant metabolic responses and altered expression levels of INPS, CMO, and MDH in S. salsa samples, together with the increased activities of antioxidant enzymes including SOD and POD. Overall, these results indicated osmotic and oxidative stresses, disturbed protein degradation and energy metabolism change in S. salsa after mercury exposures. Additionally, the addition of selenium could induce both antagonistic and synergistic effects including alleviating protein degradation and aggravating osmotic stress caused by mercury.

Toxicological effects of benzo(a)pyrene, DDT and their mixture on the green mussel Perna viridis revealed by proteomic and metabolomic approaches

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are persistent organic pollutants and environmental estrogens (EEs) with known toxicity towards the green mussel, Perna viridis. In this study, the toxic effects of BaP (10 µg/L) and DDT (10 µg/L) and their mixture were assessed in green mussel gills with proteomic and metabolomic approaches. Metabolic responses indicated that BaP mainly caused disturbance in osmotic regulation by significantly decrease in branched chain amino acids, dimethylamine and dimethylglycine in gills of male green mussels after exposure for 7 days. DDT mainly caused disturbance in osmotic regulation and energy metabolism by differential alteration of betaine, dimethylamine, dimethylglycine, amino acids, and succinate in gills of male green mussels. However, the mixture of BaP and DDT didn't show obvious metabolite changes. Proteomic analysis showed different protein expression profiles between different treatment groups, which demonstrated that BaP, DDT and their mixture may have different modes of action. Proteomic responses revealed that BaP induced cell apoptosis, disturbance in protein digestion and energy metabolism in gills of green mussels, whereas DDT exposure altered proteins that were associated with oxidative stress, cytoskeleton and cell structure, protein digestion and energy metabolism. However, the mixture of BaP and DDT affected proteins related to the oxidative stress, cytoskeleton and cell structure, protein biosynthesis and modification, energy metabolism, growth and apoptosis.

Proteomics and the search for welfare and stress biomarkers in animal production in the one-health context

Stress and welfare are important factors in animal production in the context of growing production optimization and scrutiny by the general public.

Non-additive effects of ocean acidification in combination with warming on the larval proteome of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide results in ocean acidification and warming, significantly impacting marine invertebrate larvae development. We investigated how ocean acidification in combination with warming affected D-veliger larvae of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Larvae were reared for 40h under either control (pH8.1, 20 °C), acidified (pH7.9, 20 °C), warm (pH8.1, 22 °C) or warm acidified (pH7.9, 22 °C) conditions. Larvae in acidified conditions were significantly smaller than in the control, but warm acidified conditions mitigated negative effects on size, and increased calcification. A proteomic approach employing two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to quantify proteins and relate their abundance to phenotypic traits. In total 12 differentially abundant spots were identified by nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. These proteins had roles in metabolism, intra- and extra-cellular matrix formations, stress response, and as molecular chaperones. Seven spots responded to reduced pH, four to increased temperature, and six to acidification and warming. Reduced abundance of proteins such as ATP synthase and GAPDH, and increased abundance of superoxide dismutase, occurred when both pH and temperature changes were imposed, suggesting altered metabolism and enhanced oxidative stress. These results identify key proteins that may be involved in the acclimation of C. gigas larvae to ocean acidification and warming.

SIGNIFICANCE

Increasing atmospheric CO2 raises sea surface temperatures and results in ocean acidification, two climatic variables known to impact marine organisms. Larvae of calcifying species may be particularly at risk to such changing environmental conditions. The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is ecologically and commercially important, and understanding its ability to acclimate to climate change will help to predict how aquaculture of this species is likely to be impacted. Modest, yet realistic changes in pH and/or temperature may be more informative of how populations will respond to contemporary climate change. We showed that concurrent acidification and warming mitigates the negative effects of pH alone on size of larvae, but proteomic analysis reveals altered patterns of metabolism and an increase in oxidative stress suggesting non-additive effects of the interaction between pH and temperature on protein abundance. Thus, even small changes in climate may influence development, with potential consequences later in life.

Live Edwardsiella tarda vaccine enhances innate immunity by metabolic modulation in zebrafish

Control of bacterial infection resides in the core of human health and sustainable animal breeding. Vaccines as an economic and efficient immunoprophylaxis have been widely accepted, but mechanisms for vaccines do not fully understand. Information regarding to metabolome in response to vaccines is not available. Here we explore the metabolic features by using GC/MS based metabolic profile and trace metabolic mechanisms in zebrafish (Dario rerio) in response to live Edwardsiella tarda vaccine. Pathway enrichment analysis shows that live vaccine activates biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and the TCA cycle and reduces aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, suggesting a metabolic characteristic feature in response to the live vaccine. We further demonstrate that hydroxyl radical is limited during stimulation. Finally, we reveal oleate induces effective protection against E. tarda infection. These results have implications for immunity study that metabolic regulation contributes to immune protection. Our findings enable us to propose novel therapeutic strategies on metabolism against bacterial infections.

Effects of a municipal effluent on the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata following challenge with Vibrio anguillarum

The purpose of this study was to examine the cumulative effects of exposure to a pathogenic bacteria and municipal effluent in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata. Mussels were exposed to increasing concentrations of an ozone-treated effluent at 15°C for 7days. A sub-group of mussels was inoculated with Vibrio anguillarum and exposed to the same conditions as above. After the exposure period, mussels were collected to assess hemocyte count and viability, immunocompetence (phagocytosis and nitrite production), oxidative stress/inflammation (cyclooxygenase and lipid peroxidation) and oxygen radical/xenobiotic scavenging activity (metallothioniens, glutathione S-transferase). The results showed that mussels exposed to municipal effluent had increased hemocyte counts, phagocytosis, nitrites, lipid peroxidation and metallothioneins. In the inoculated mussels, the same responses were observed, in addition to cyclooxygenase and glutathione S-transferase activities. Multivariate analyses revealed that (1) the response pattern changed with effluent concentration, where increased responses observed at low effluent concentrations (>10%, V/V) were attenuated at higher effluent concentrations, (2) the effluent produced more pronounced changes in lipid peroxidation, metallothionein and hemocyte viability, and (3) the simultaneous presence of V. anguillarum led to more important changes in hemocyte count and viability and nitrite levels. In conclusion, the presence of V. anguillarum could alter the response of mussels to municipal effluent, which could lead to increased inflammation in mussels.

Transcriptome analysis of the pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata) hemocytes in response to Vibrio alginolyticus infection

The pearl oyster Pinctada fucata is cultured widely for production of marine pearls in China, while mass mortalities, likely related to pathogenic infections, have occurred frequently in juvenile, mother and operated oysters. To address this issue, understanding host defense mechanisms of P. fucata against pathogenic challenge is extremely important. In the present study, a comparative analysis of hemocyte transcriptomes of P. fucata before and after Vibrio alginolyticus infection was conducted using the Illumina/Hiseq-2000 RNA-Seq technology. A total of 56,345,139 clean reads were generated and then assembled into 74,007 unigenes with an average length of 680 bp and an N50 of 1197 bp. Unigenes were annotated by comparing against non-redundant protein sequence (nr), non-redundant nucleotide (nt), Swiss-Prot, Pfam, Gene Ontology database (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, and 29,615 unigenes (40.01%) were annotated in at least one database. There were 636 genes (518 up-regulated and 118 down-regulated) that were significantly differentially expressed after bacterial challenge, and among which 369 were associated with 122 pathways, including classical immune-related pathways, such as 'MAPK signaling pathway', 'Chemokine signaling pathway', 'Apoptosis' and 'Wnt signaling pathway'. These findings provide information on the pearl oyster innate immunity and may contribute to developing strategies for management of diseases and long-term sustainability of P. fucata culture.

Investigation on the proteome response of transplanted blue mussel (Mytilus sp.) during a long term exposure experiment at differently impacted field stations in the German Bight (North Sea)

In a pilot field study the proteome response of Mytilus sp. was analyzed in relation to the concentration of different trace metal contaminants. Over a period of eight month test organisms have been exposed at a near-shore station in the anthropogenic impacted estuary of the river Elbe and at an off-shore station in the vicinity of the Island of Helgoland in the German Bight (North Sea). The stations differ in their hydrological as well as chemical characteristics. The physiological biomarkers, such as condition index which have been continuously monitored during the experiment clearly indicate the effects of the different environmental conditions. Multiple protein abundance changes were detected utilizing the techniques of two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2dGE) and consequently proteins arising as potential candidates for ecotoxicological monitoring have been identified by MALDI-ToF and ToF/ToF mass spectrometry. Different cytoskeletal proteins, enzymes of energy metabolism, stress proteins and one protein relevant for metal detoxification have been pointed out.

Predicting growth and mortality of bivalve larvae using gene expression and supervised machine learning

It is commonly known that the nature of the diet has diverse consequences on larval performance and longevity, however it is still unclear which genes have critical impacts on bivalve development and which pathways are of particular importance in their vulnerability or resistance. First we show that a diet deficient in essential fatty acid (EFA) produces higher larval mortality rates, a reduced shell growth, and lower postlarval performance, all of which are positively correlated with a decline in arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids levels, two EFAs known as eicosanoid precursors. Eicosanoids affect the cell inflammatory reactions and are synthesized from long-chain EFAs. Second, we show for the first time that a deficiency in eicosanoid precursors is associated with a network of 29 genes. Their differential regulation can lead to slower growth and higher mortality of Mytilus edulis larvae. Some of these genes are specific to bivalves and others are implicated at the same time in lipid metabolism and defense. Several genes are expressed only during pre-metamorphosis where they are essential for muscle or neurone development and biomineralization, but only in stress-induced larvae. Finally, we discuss how our networks of differentially expressed genes might dynamically alter the development of marine bivalves, especially under dietary influence.

The use of -omic tools in the study of disease processes in marine bivalve mollusks

Our understanding of disease processes and host-pathogen interactions in model species has benefited greatly from the application of medium and high-throughput genomic, metagenomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses. The rate at which new, low-cost, high-throughput -omic technologies are being developed has also led to an expansion in the number of studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of disease processes in bivalves. This review provides a catalogue of the genetic and -omic tools available for bivalve species and examples of how -omics has contributed to the advancement of marine bivalve disease research, with a special focus in the areas of immunity, bivalve-pathogen interactions, mechanisms of disease resistance and pathogen virulence, and disease diagnosis. The analysis of bivalve genomes and transcriptomes has revealed that many immune and stress-related gene families are expanded in the bivalve taxa examined thus far. In addition, the analysis of proteomes confirms that responses to infection are influenced by epigenetic, post-transcriptional, and post-translational modifications. The few studies performed in bivalves show that epigenetic modifications are non-random, suggesting a role for epigenetics in regulating the interactions between bivalves and their environments. Despite the progress -omic tools have enabled in the field of marine bivalve disease processes, there is much more work to be done. To date, only three bivalve genomes have been sequenced completely, with assembly status at different levels of completion. Transcriptome datasets are relatively easy and inexpensive to generate, but their interpretation will benefit greatly from high quality genome assemblies and improved data analysis pipelines. Finally, metagenomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic studies focused on bivalve disease processes are currently limited but their expansion should be facilitated as more transcriptome datasets and complete genome sequences become available for marine bivalve species.

Long-term feeding with Euglena gracilis cells modulates immune responses, oxidative balance and metabolic condition in Diplodon chilensis (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Hyriidae) exposed to living Escherichia coli

We evaluated the modulating effect of long-term feeding with lyophilized Euglena gracilis cells on immune response, oxidative balance and metabolic condition of the freshwater mussel Diplodon chilensis. Mussels, previously fed with Scenedesmus vacuolatus (SV) or E. gracilis (EG) for 90 days, were challenged with an environmentally relevant concentration of Escherichia coli in water for 5 days, under feeding or starvation conditions. EG diet increased overall phagocytic activity and tissue hemocyte accumulation (gill and mantle), and favored hemocyte viability upon E. coli challenge. Tissular hemocyte accumulation, and humoral bacteriolytic activity and protein content were similarly stimulated by EG and E. coli, with no further effect when both stimuli were combined. Both, E. coli challenge and EG diet reduced gill bacteriolytic activity with respect to nonchallenged SV mussels, while no effect was observed in challenged EG mussels. Gill and digestive gland protein contents, along with digestive gland bacteriolytic activity were higher in EG than in SV mussels. Both SV and EG mussels showed increased gill mass upon E. coli challenge, while digestive gland mass was increased by bacterial challenge only in SV mussels. Bacterial challenge produced no effect on humoral reactive oxygen species levels of both groups. Total oxyradical scavenging capacity levels was reduced in challenged SV mussels but remained unaffected in EG ones. In general, EG diet decreased glutathione S-transferase and catalase activities in gill and digestive gland, compared with SV diet; but increased enzyme activity was evident in challenged mussels of both groups. Gill and digestive gland lipid peroxidation levels were higher in EG than in SV mussels but E. coli challenge had stronger effect on SV mussels. Adductor muscle RNA:DNA ratio was higher in EG mussels than in SV ones, and increased upon E. coli challenge in mussels of both groups. E. gracilis can be suggested as a nutritional and protective diet complement suitable for filtering bivalves. However, our results obtained from starved mussels show that starvation periods after supplying this diet should be avoided, since these could revert part of the acquired benefits and/or exacerbate detrimental effects.

A 2-DE-based proteomic study on the toxicological effects of cisplatin in L02 cells

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of various cancers. In this study, cisplatin-induced effects were characterized in vitro model of human liver cells (L02) using 2-DE-based proteomics. Results indicated that different cisplatin treatments primarily induced disturbances in protein synthesis and oxidative stress via differential mechanisms. Since the experimental concentrations of cisplatin described a hormesis effect in cell proliferation of L02 cells, it was expected to reveal the hormesis effects using proteomic markers. However, only confilin-1 was commonly up-regulated in three concentrations of cisplatin treatments showing a hormesis effects with a U-shape regulation. These results were highly consistent with many other toxico-proteomic studies, indicating that the toxico-proteomic responses based on dose-dependent protein responses were incongruent with the theoretically linear or hormetic concentration-effect relationship. Our findings suggested that a macroscopic hormesis phenomenon on the cell proliferation could not be reflected by proteomic responses induced by cisplatin treatments.

Combined metabolome and proteome analysis of the mantle tissue from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas exposed to elevated pCO2

Ocean acidification (OA) has been found to affect an array of normal physiological processes in mollusks, especially posing a significant threat to the fabrication process of mollusk shell. In the current study, the impact of exposure to elevated pCO2 condition was investigated in mantle tissue of Crassostrea gigas by an integrated metabolomic and proteomic approach. Analysis of metabolome and proteome revealed that elevated pCO2 could affect energy metabolism in oyster C. gigas, marked by differentially altered ATP, succinate, MDH, PEPCK and ALDH levels. Moreover, the up-regulated calponin-2, tropomyosins and myosin light chains indicated that elevated pCO2 probably caused disturbances in cytoskeleton structure in mantle tissue of oyster C. gigas. This work demonstrated that a combination of proteomics and metabolomics could provide important insights into the effects of OA at molecular levels.

Gender-specific metabolic responses in hepatopancreas of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis challenged by Vibrio harveyi

Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is a marine aquaculture shellfish and frequently studied in shellfish immunology. In this work, the gender-specific metabolic responses induced by Vibrio harveyi in hepatopancreas from M. galloprovincialis were characterized using NMR-based metabolomics. In details, V. harveyi challenge increased the levels of amino acids including (valine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, alanine, arginine and tyrosine) and ATP, and decreased the level of glucose in male mussel hepatopancreas. In V. harveyi-challenged female mussel hepatopancreas, both threonine and AMP were significantly elevated, and choline, phoshphocholine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, taurine, betaine and ATP were depleted. Obviously, only threonine was similarly altered to that in V. harveyi-challenged male mussel hepatopancreas. These findings confirmed the gender-specific metabolic responses in mussels challenged by V. harveyi. Overall, V. harveyi induced an enhanced energy demand through activated glycolysis and immune response indicated by increased BCAAs in male mussel hepatopancreas. In female mussel hepatopancreas, V. harveyi basically caused disturbances in both osmotic regulation and energy metabolism through the metabolic pathways of conversions of phosphocholine and ADP to choline and ATP, and sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and H2O into choline and sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. The altered mRNA expression levels of related genes (Cu/Zn-SOD, HSP90, lysozyme and defensin) suggested that V. harveyi induced obvious oxidative and immune stresses in both male and female mussel hepatopancreas. This work demonstrated that V. harveyi could induce gender-specific metabolic responses in mussel M. galloprovincialis hepatopancreas using NMR-based metabolomics.

Metabolic profiling of the tissue-specific responses in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis towards Vibrio harveyi challenge

Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is a marine aquaculture shellfish distributing widely along the coast in north China. In this work, we studied the differential metabolic responses induced by Vibrio harveyi in digestive gland and gill tissues from M. galloprovincialis using NMR-based metabolomics. The differential metabolic responses in the two tissue types were detected, except the similarly altered taurine and betaine. These metabolic responses suggested that V. harveyi mainly induced osmotic disruption and reduced energy demand via the metabolic pathways of glucose synthesis and ATP/AMP conversion in mussel digestive gland. In mussel gill tissues, V. harveyi basically caused osmotic stress and possible reduced energy demand as shown by the elevated phosphocholine that is involved in one of the metabolic pathways of ATP synthesis from ADP and phosphocholine. The altered mRNA expression levels of related genes (superoxide dismutase with copper and zinc, heat shock protein 90, defensin and lysozyme) suggested that V. harveyi induced clear oxidative and immune stresses in both digestive gland and gill tissues. However, the mRNA expression levels of both lysozyme and defensin in digestive gland were more significantly up-regulated than those in gill from V. harveyi-challenged mussel M. galloprovincialis, meaning that the immune organ, digestive gland, was more sensitive than gill. Overall, our results indicated that V. harveyi could induce tissue-specific metabolic responses in mussel M. galloprovincialis.

Proteomic identification of differentially expressed proteins in sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus coelomocytes after Vibrio splendidus infection

Skin ulceration syndrome (SUS) was the main limitation in the development of Apostichopus japonicus culture industries. To better understand how Vibrio splendidus modulates SUS outbreak, the immune response of A. japonicus coelomocytes after the pathogen challenge were investigated through comparative proteomics approach, and differentially expressed proteins were screened and characterized in the present study. A total of 40 protein spots representing 30 entries were identified at 24, 72 and 96 h post-infection. Of these proteins, 32 were up-regulated and 8 were down-regulated in the V. splendidus challenged samples compared to those of control. These differentially expressed proteins were mainly classified into four categories by GO analysis, in which approximate 33% of proteins showed to be related to immunity response. The mRNA expression levels of 6 differentially expressed proteins were further validated by qRT-PCR. Similar protein-mRNA-level expression patterns were detected in genes of phospholipase (spot 4), G protein (spot 20), annexin (spot 30) and filamin (spot 31). Whilst the levels of ficolin (spot 12) and calumenin (spot 14) transcripts were not corresponded with those of their translation products. These data provide a new insight to understand the molecular immune mechanism of sea cucumber responsive towards pathogen infection.

Deep transcriptome sequencing of Pecten maximus hemocytes: a genomic resource for bivalve immunology

Pecten maximus, the king scallop, is a bivalve species with important commercial value for both fisheries and aquaculture, traditionally consumed in several European countries. Major problems in larval rearing, however, still limit hatchery-based seed production. High mortalities during early larval stages, likely related to bacterial pathogens, represent the most relevant bottleneck. To address this issue, understanding host defense mechanisms against microbes is extremely important. In this study next-generation RNA-sequencing was carried on scallop hemocytes. To enrich for immune-related transcripts, cDNA libraries from hemocytes challenged in vivo with inactivated-Vibrio anguillarum and in vitro with pathogen-associated molecular patterns, as well as unchallenged controls, were sequenced yielding 216,444,674 sequence reads. De novo assembly of the scallop hemocyte transcriptome consisted of 73,732 contigs (31% annotated). A total of 934 contigs encoded proteins with a known immune function, grouped into several functional categories. Particular attention was reserved to Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) involved in non-self recognition. Through mining the scallop hemocyte transcriptome, at least four TLRs could be identified. The organization of canonical TLR domains demonstrated that single cysteine cluster and multiple cysteine cluster TLRs co-exist in this species. In addition, preliminary data concerning their mRNA level following bacterial challenge suggested that different members of this family could exhibit opposite responses to pathogenic stimuli. Finally, a global analysis of differential expression comparing gene-expression levels in in vitro and in vivo stimulated hemocytes against controls provided evidence on a large set of transcripts involved in the great scallop immune response.

Sensitivity of Larvae and Adult and the Immunologic Characteristics ofLitopenaeus vannameiunder the Acute Hypoxia

Litopenaeus vannameiis one of the most commercially important species of shrimp in the world. In this study, we performed acute hypoxia tests withLitopenaeus vannameito estimate 12 h median lethal concentration (LC50) values at different life stages. The results indicated that the 12 h LC50values were significantly different in different life stages of shrimp(P<0.05). The maximum value of 12 h LC50was 2.113 mg L−1for mysis III, and the minimum value was 0.535 mg L−1for adult shrimp with an average total length of 6 cm. The study also determined the hemocyanin concentration (HC) and the total hemocyte counts (THC) in the conditions of hypoxia and reoxygenation. These results showed that the THC decreased and the HC increased under hypoxia, and the THC increased and the HC decreased in the condition of reoxygenation. These results can provide fundamental information for shrimp farming and seedling and also can guide the breeding selection, as well as being very helpful to better understand the hypoxia stress mechanism of shrimp.

Differential metabolic responses of clam Ruditapes philippinarum to Vibrio anguillarum and Vibrio splendidus challenges

Clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the important marine aquaculture species in North China. However, pathogens can often cause diseases and lead to massive mortalities and economic losses of clam. In this work, we compared the metabolic responses induced by Vibrio anguillarum and Vibrio splendidus challenges towards hepatopancreas of clam using NMR-based metabolomics. Metabolic responses suggested that both V. anguillarum and V. splendidus induced disturbances in energy metabolism and osmotic regulation, oxidative and immune stresses with different mechanisms, as indicated by correspondingly differential metabolic biomarkers (e.g., amino acids, ATP, glucose, glycogen, taurine, betaine, choline and hypotaurine) and altered mRNA expression levels of related genes including ATP synthase, ATPase, glutathione peroxidase, heat shock protein 90, defensin and lysozyme. However, V. anguillarum caused more severe oxidative and immune stresses in clam hepatopancreas than V. splendidus. Our results indicated that metabolomics could be used to elucidate the biological effects of pathogens to the marine clam R. philippinarum.

Metabolomic analysis revealed the differential responses in two pedigrees of clam Ruditapes philippinarum towards Vibrio harveyi challenge

Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is an important marine aquaculture shellfish. This species has several pedigrees including White, Zebra, Liangdao Red and Marine Red distributing in the coastal areas in North China. In this work, we studied the metabolic differences induced by Vibrio harveyi in hepatopancreas from White and Zebra clams using NMR-based metabolomics. Metabolic responses (e.g., amino acids, glucose, glycogen, ATP and succinate) and altered mRNA expression levels of related genes (ATP synthase, heat shock protein 90, defensin and lysozyme) suggested that V. harveyi induced clear disruption in energy metabolism and immune stresses in both White and Zebra clam hepatopancreas. However, V. harveyi caused obvious osmotic stress in Zebra clam hepatopancreas, which was not observed in V. harveyi-challenged White clams samples. In addition, V. harveyi challenge induced more severe disruption in energy metabolism and immune stress in White clams than in Zebra clams. Overall, our results indicated that the biological differences between different pedigrees of R. philippinarum should be considered in immunity studies.

Divergent metabolic responses of Apostichopus japonicus suffered from skin ulceration syndrome and pathogen challenge

Skin ulceration syndrome (SUS) is the main limitation in the development of Apostichopus japonicus culture industries, in which Vibrio splendidus has been well documented as one of the major pathogens. However, the intrinsic mechanisms toward pathogen challenge and disease outbreak remain largely unknown at the metabolic level. In this work, the metabolic responses were investigated in muscles of sea cucumber among natural SUS-diseased and V. splendidus-challenged samples. The pathogen did not induce obvious biological effects in A. japonicus samples after infection for the first 24 h. An enhanced energy storage (or reduced energy demand) and immune responses were observed in V. splendidus-challenged A. japonicus samples at 48 h, as marked by increased glucose and branched chain amino acids, respectively. Afterward, infection of V. splendidus induced significant increases in energy demand in A. japonicus samples at both 72 and 96 h, confirmed by decreased glucose and glycogen, and increased ATP. Surprisingly, high levels of glycogen and glucose and low levels of threonine, alanine, arginine, glutamate, glutamine, taurine and ATP were founded in natural SUS-diseased sea cucumber. Our present results provided essential metabolic information about host-pathogen interaction for sea cucumber, and informed that the metabolic biomarkers induced by V. splendidus were not usable for the prediction of SUS disease in practice.