Project description:The appearance of hard mineralized exoskeletons is a critical leap for animal evolution and partially lead to the explosion of diverse animals during the Cambrian, for example, molluscs. A majority of molluscs have mineralized shells to protect themselves. Despite numerous studies that have studied the remarkable mechanical properties of shells, the origin of shell formation is still elusive. Hence, this study investigated the overlooked shell proteome of chitons, which belong to polyplacophoran, Aculifera of Mollusca. By comparing the shell proteome to well-studied Conchifera groups, we inferred possible ancestral biomineralization toolkits of stem-group Mollusca. Taking advantage of the recently sequenced chiton mantle transcriptome and genome, eight core biomineralization proteins were identified by proteomics. Surprisingly, in contrast to previous thought that shell formation is convergently evolved, two important shell matrix proteins, Nacrein-like and Pif-like proteins were found to be conserved among Aculifera and Conchifera groups. Our findings identify a missed link of mineralized shell evolution in Mollusca and pose a hypothesis that stem-group molluscs have already evolved core biomineralization toolkits, which likely facilitate the formation of mineralized shells for protection that partially leads to their explosion.
Project description:Studying the adaptive divergence of shellfish inhabiting different environments is crucial to predict the resilience of marine organisms to rapid climate change. Although the shell serves as the primary physical barrier against environmental change, the evolutionary adaptation of biomineralization in shellfish remains poorly understood. In this study, we using common garden designs to investigate the shell matrix proteome of estuarine (Crassostrea ariakensis) and Pacific (Crassostrea gigas) oysters inhabiting estuarine and open coastal zones, respectively. Shell matrix proteome analyses revealed extensive domain expansion of classical pathway secretomes, which likely contribute to the enhanced biomineralization capacity of estuarine oysters. Furthermore, two-thirds of the 27 C. ariakensis-specific shell matrix-secreted proteins (SMSPs) lacked homology with known proteins in the Swiss-Prot and nr databases, indicating rapid evolution. Our findings suggest that intensified classical pathway secretomes and rapid evolution of species-specific SMSPs are key factors shaping the defense of shells to enhance their adaptive potential to climate change.
Project description:In present study, digital gene expression (DGE) profiling was performed to obtain a general picture of the transcriptomic implicated in the early development of R. venosa. Eighteen DGE libraries at six developmental stages of R. venosa were constructed, sequenced by IIIumina HiSeq 2500 platform. RNA from six developmental stages of R. venosa was sequenced using Illumina Hi-seq 2500. Each stage have three replicates
Project description:In present study, digital gene expression (DGE) profiling was performed to obtain a general picture of the transcriptomic implicated in the early development of R. venosa. Eighteen DGE libraries at six developmental stages of R. venosa were constructed, sequenced by IIIumina HiSeq 2500 platform.
Project description:Deep sequencing of mRNA from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas Competent larvae of Crassostrea gigas were treated with epinephrine solution, and then sampled at different time intervals. For shell damage experiment, shell were broken and then tissues were sampled at different time intervals.
Project description:The veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) is widely consumed in China but is also a predator that is reducing bivalves resources in oceans worldwide. Larval metamorphosis of this species, a pelagic to benthic transition that involves considerable structural and physiological changes, plays a pivotal role in its commercial breeding and natural populations. Thus, the endogenous microRNA that drive this transition attract considerable interest. This study is the first to investigate alterations of miRNA expression during metamorphosis in a marine gastropod by using high-throughput sequencing. A total of 195 differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained, including 65 miRNAs differentially expressed during the transition from pre-competent larva to competent larva (33 up-regulated and 32 down regulated) and 123 miRNAs differentially expressed during competent to post larva transition (96 up-regulated and 27 down regulated). Our data improve understanding of the microRNA function into R. venosa metamorphosis and provide a solid basis for further study.
Project description:We analyzed the proteomes of competent Rapna venosa larvae and post-larvae, resulting in the identification of 5,312 proteins, including 470 that were down-regulated and 668 that were up-regulated after metamorphosis. The differentially expressed proteins reflected multiple processes involved in metamorphosis, including cytoskeleton and cell adhesion, ingestion and digestion, stress response and immunity, as well as specific tissue development. Our data improve understanding of the physiological traits controlling R. venosa metamorphosis and provide a solid basis for further study.