Expression analysis of Myostatin during molting cycle in Eriocheir sinensis

Abstract:

In present study, the expression differences of myostatin(MSTN) in various tissues of Eriocheir sinensis during molting cycle were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that,(1) EsMSTN(Eriocheir sinensis MSTN) had its highest expression level in muscle, while higher expression levels were also observed in thoracic ganglia and brain ganglia at stage C, suggesting its physiological function was not restricted to muscle.(2) EsMSTN was expressed the highest at AB and the lowest at D stage of molting cycle in muscle, suggesting that EsMSTN might be a positive growth regulator in E. sinensis, involved in the significant expansion and severe atrophy of the muscle at AB stage and D stage, respectively. Whereas in hepatopancreas and epithelium, EsMSTN mRNA expression levels were the highest at AB stage, and the lowest at C or D stage, due probably to cell proliferation at AB stage in these tissues. In addition, the peak value of EsMSTN mRNA in thoracic ganglia occurred at stage AB and its lowest expression level was observed at stage D, which implied that EsMSTN may regulate the nerogenesis in this tissue positively.