HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) [Supplemental Figure] All Versions of this Article: 77/1/138    most recent biolreprod.106.055483v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zmora, N. Articles by Chung, J. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zmora, N. Articles by Chung, J. S. Agricola Articles by Zmora, N. Articles by Chung, J. S.

Vitellogenin and Its Messenger RNA During Ovarian Development in the Female Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus: Gene Expression, Synthesis, Transport, and Cleavage¹

Center of Marine Biotechnology,³ University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Department of Zoology,⁴ University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China

ABSTRACT

Blue crab vitellogenin (VTG) cDNA encodes a precursor that, together with two other Brachyuran VTGs, forms a distinctive cluster within a phylogenetic tree of crustacean VTGs. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that VTG was primarily expressed in the hepatopancreas of a vitellogenic female, with minor expression in the ovary. VTG expression in the hepatopancreas correlated with ovarian growth, with a remarkable 8000-fold increase in expression from stage 3 to 4 of ovarian development. In contrast, the VTG levels in the hepatopancreas and hemolymph decreased in stage 4. Western blot analysis and N-terminal sequencing revealed that vitellin is composed of three subunits of 78.5 kDa, 119.42 kDa, and 87.9 kDa. The processing pathway for VTG includes an initial hepatopancreatic cleavage of the primary precursor into 78.5-kDa and 207.3-kDa subunits, both of which are found in the hemolymph. A second cleavage in the ovary splits the 207.3-kDa subunit into 119.4-kDa and 87.9-kDa subunits. The hemolymph VTG profiles of mated and unmated females during ovarian development indicate that early vitellogenesis and ovarian development do not require mating, which may be essential for later stages, as VTG decreased to the basal level at stage 4 in the unmated group but remained high in the mated females. Our results encompass comprehensive overall temporal and spatial aspects of vitellogenesis, which may reflect the reproductive physiology of the female blue crab, e.g., single mating and anecdysis in adulthood.

behavior, ovary, oocyte development

¹Supported by a Program Grant (NA17FU2841) from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office to the Blue Crab Advanced Research Consortium.

Correspondence: ²J. Sook Chung, Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, 701 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore MD 21202. FAX: 410 234 8896; e-mail: chung{at}umbi.umd.edu