Effects of Salinity Fluctuation on Gene Expression Profiles of Female Litopenaeus vannamei Broodstocks

Abstract

In this study, the effects of salinity fluctuation on gene expression patterns in ovary and hepatopancreas of Litopenaeus vannamei were analyzed. The expression level of vitellogenin in the ovaries were significantly, markedly, and slightly, inhibited respectively in the hepatopancreas after brooders were transferred from 30‰ to 20‰ or 40‰ salinity for 4 days. The expression levels of the development of germ cell related genes Dmc1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cyclophilin A were significantly reduced at 20‰ or 40‰ salinity. The transcript level of shrimp ovarian peritrophin (SOP) was significantly reduced at 20‰ salinity, and the expression level of ovary specific gene mucin-5 AC was significantly higher at 40‰ salinity. Four stress related genes, cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase (LvCAc), Na+/K+-ATPase alpha subunit (LvNK), V-H+-ATPase subunit A (LvVH), and heat shock protein 90 (LvHSP90), were significantly up-regulated at 40‰ salinity in the ovaries. In the hepatopancreas, the transcript level of fatty acid synthase (LvFAS) was significantly inhibited under 40‰ salinity. The mRNA levels of stress related genes LvNK, LvVH, and LvHSP90, were significantly lower at 40‰ salinity. Results indicated that changes in salinity caused transcription inhibition of germ cell and ovarian development related genes, and the expression patterns of stress related genes in the ovaries and hepatopancreas were quite different.