1
|
Aminah IS, Ikejima K, Vermeiren P. Ingestion and translocation of microplastics in tissues of deposit-feeding crabs (Grapsoidea, Ocypodoidea) in Kochi estuary, Japan. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 192:106252. [PMID: 37944348 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Estuaries contain some of the highest concentrations of accumulated microplastics (MPs) that can be ingested by abundant deposit-feeding crabs. We investigate MPs in gill, hepatopancreatic, and gastrointestinal tissues of seven intertidal crab species in Kokubu River, Kochi, Japan. By applying a reliable method that considers limits of detection and quantification, we report MPs in 63 of 116 crabs (>50%), with a mean of 3.2 MPs individual-1. Concentrations are greatest in gastrointestinal tracts (62.15%), suggesting that feeding is the main route for MP uptake. PET is the dominant polymer (44%), and fragments are the dominant shape (50%-77%). A greater MPs burden g-1 body weight is reported for deposit-feeding small ocypodid crabs than for larger herbivorous/omnivorous grapsoid crabs. Factors possibly influencing MP uptake by crabs include feeding habit, crab size, and ambient MP composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Siti Aminah
- Laboratory of Coastal Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku City, Kochi 783-8502, Japan; United Graduate School of Agriculture Sciences, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Kou Ikejima
- Laboratory of Coastal Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku City, Kochi 783-8502, Japan; United Graduate School of Agriculture Sciences, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.
| | - Peter Vermeiren
- Laboratory of Coastal Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku City, Kochi 783-8502, Japan; Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Gullbringvegen 36, 3800 Bø, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bacci G, Fratini S, Meriggi N, Cheng CLY, Ng KH, Pindo M, Iannucci A, Mengoni A, Cavalieri D, Cannicci S. Conserved organ-specific microbial assemblages in different populations of a terrestrial crab. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1113617. [PMID: 37378290 PMCID: PMC10291174 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1113617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment and provide genetic and physiological functions to multicellular organisms. Knowledge on the associated microbiota is becoming highly relevant to understand the host's ecology and biology. Among invertebrates, many examples of endosymbiosis have been described, such as those in corals, ants, and termites. At present, however, little is known on the presence, diversity, and putative roles of the microbiota associated to brachyuran crabs in relation to their environment. In this work we investigated the associated microbiota of three populations of the terrestrial brachyuran crab Chiromantes haematocheir to find evidence of a conserved organ-specific microbiome unrelated to the population of origin and dissimilar from environmental microbial assemblages. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS sequences were obtained from selected crab organs and environmental matrices to profile microbial communities. Despite the presence of truly marine larval stages and the absence of a gregarious behaviour, favouring microbiota exchanges, we found common, organ-specific microbiota, associated with the gut and the gills of crabs from the different populations (with more than 15% of the genera detected specifically enriched only in one organ). These findings suggest the presence of possible functional roles of the organ-specific microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Bacci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Sara Fratini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Ka Hei Ng
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Massimo Pindo
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alessio Iannucci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessio Mengoni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefano Cannicci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Miyake K, Baba Y. De novo transcriptome assembly of the midgut glands of herbivorous land crabs, Chiromantes haematocheir, and identification of laccase genes involved in lignin degradation. J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:247-261. [PMID: 35088170 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01424-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Herbivorous land crabs such as Chiromantes haematocheir and C. dehaani show biomass-degrading activities. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analysis to detect biomass-degrading enzymes. A de novo transcriptome assembly in the midgut glands of molting and non-molting C. haematocheir crabs was constructed using RNA sequencing. Illumina sequencing generated 44,937,002 and 44,394,310 reads from the two midgut glands. In total, 178,710 contigs with an average length of 750 bp and an N50 value of 1,235 bp were assembled, of which 37,890 contigs were annotated using BLASTx search against the NCBI database. We identified 22 contigs (11 genes) belonging to the laccase family and 44 contigs (22 genes) belonging to the peroxidase family. Sixteen contigs (three genes) belonging to the GH9 cellulase family were also detected. We selected the gene accounting for the majority of expressed laccase and analyzed its properties. The 24131-laccase transcript (2465 bp) had one complete open reading frame, nt 149-1987, encoding a protein of 613 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 67.708 kDa. The enzyme was shown to belong to the multicopper oxidase family. The 24131-laccase protein was confirmed to have oxidation activity against 2,6-dimethoxyphenol by ectopic expression in Escherichia coli. Laccase activity was significantly enhanced by feeding land crabs with plant diets. These data suggest that the enzyme plays an important role in the digestion of lignin in the guts of land crabs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhide Miyake
- Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Meijo University, 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, Tenpaku, Nagoya, Aichi, 468-8502, Japan.
| | - Yasunori Baba
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308 Suematsu, Nonoichi, Ishikawa, 921-8836, Japan
| |
Collapse
|