Termite reproductives provide a useful system for examining molecular changes associated with reproductive differentiation because secondary reproductives can arise from worker-like individuals. Here, we compared workers and worker-derived ergatoids of Reticulitermes chinensis to characterize transcriptional changes associated with the acquisition of reproductive status. Histological observations revealed developed gonads containing vitellogenic oocytes in female 10-day post-differentiation ergatoids and spermatids and spermatozoa in male 10-day post-differentiation ergatoids. Transcriptome sequencing, targeted gene set enrichment analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and RT-qPCR revealed caste-associated changes in the expression of genes annotated to DNA repair-related pathways. Gene sets associated with homologous recombination, p53/checkpoint signaling and mismatch repair were significantly positively enriched toward the ergatoid-associated end of the ranked gene list, whereas the Fanconi anemia-related repair gene set showed a positive but non-significant enrichment trend. Several mismatch repair genes, including MSH2, MSH6, and MLH1, showed higher transcript abundance in ergatoids, and MLH1 retained conserved sequence and domain features across representative insects. These findings indicate that worker-to-ergatoid differentiation is associated with reproductive maturation and coordinated transcriptional remodeling of DNA repair-related genes. This study identifies candidate genes and pathways for future functional investigations of genome-maintenance-related processes during reproductive differentiation in termites.
In recent years, the population of Chinese horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus) has declined sharply. As a living fossil of the ocean, they have an extremely slow growth cycle. To protect this endangered species, research has focused on identifying the optimal conditions required for its growth and development. Previous studies have focused on analyzing the optimal feed for T. tridentatus at various life stages. However, the optimal conditions required for the growth and development of first instar juveniles remain unclear. Furthermore, there is a lack of accurate and effective knowledge regarding the cultivation of first instar juveniles in aquaculture. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of feed and substrate on juvenile growth and development. Four experimental groups were established: a no-substrate, no-feeding group (WK group), a no-substrate, oyster feeding group (WS group), a group with sandy-mud substrate but no feeding (SNK group), and a group with sandy-mud substrate and oyster feeding (SNS group). The results were analyzed based on experimental records, proteomics, and microbiomics data. The results indicated that the SNS group exhibited the highest molting rate, as well as the highest weights for both first- and second instar juvenile horseshoe crabs. This indicates that the combined effect of oysters and the substrate is far greater in molting rates than the effect of either alone. Based on the proteomic results, under sandy-mud substrate conditions, oyster feeding induced substantial accumulation of mannosyl-oligosaccharide 1,2-alpha-mannosidase IA-like and Spartin, while reducing creatinase accumulation. With oyster feeding, the addition of sandy-mud substrate led to substantial accumulation of juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase-like isoform X1 and thromboxane-A synthase-like. Consistent with the microbiome results, juvenile horseshoe crabs in the SNS group exhibited higher average relative abundances of intestinal bacteria including Vibrionaceae, Thalassobius, and Defluviimonas.
Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone that plays crucial roles in combating both biotic and abiotic stressors. Herein, a total of 97 Hsp70 genes distributed across nine sub-families were identified in Mytilus coruscus. Noticeable gene expansion was detected in three subfamilies, including 77 genes in Hspa12, 4 in Hspa5, and 10 in Hsp70B2. In total, 94 Mco-Hsp70 genes were unequally mapped across 12 chromosomes, with the largest gene number present on chromosome 03 (37 genes, 38.14%). Subcellular localization analysis indicated that 74 (76.3%) Hsp70s were localized in the cytoplasm, with the remaining members distributed across 8 subcellular organelles. Tandem duplication was identified as an essential driver of the expansion of Hspa5, Hsp70B2, and Hspa12 subfamily genes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Mco-Hsp70 genes exhibited specific expression patterns across different tissues, developmental stages, and stress conditions. Notably, different Mco-Hsp70 subfamilies exhibited divergent responses to identical stimuli, and the expanded paralogs of Mco-Hspa12, Mco-Hsp70B2, and Mco-Hspa5 genes exhibited differential expression under different stress conditions. This study comprehensively explored the Mco-HSP70 gene family and elucidated transcriptional differentiation under diverse stress, enhancing our understanding of adaptation in mussels in dynamic environments.
Pubertal molt represents a critical biological process underlying successful copulation in Scylla paramamosain, during which female mud crabs engage in mating immediately following the completion of this molt. Pubertal molt is the sole route for subadult-to-adult transition for female crabs, leading to accelerated ovarian development. The present study performed transcriptomic profiling of the hepatopancreas and ovary of S. paramamosain across pubertal molt to thoroughly elucidate the key physiological modulations governing pubertal molt. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated gene sets associated with nucleotide, carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid, coenzyme/cofactor, and oxidation-reduction metabolism in hepatopancreas, and cell-cell adhesion via plasma membrane adhesion molecules in the ovary, were significantly enriched prior to molt, respectively. Conversely, gene sets related to ion transport and phagosome were notably increased in the hepatopancreas after molt. Totally 2193 and 604 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in hepatopancreas and ovary, respectively, when comparing pre- and post-molt conditions. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs indicated processes including cellular localization, localization establishment, transport, chitin metabolism, glucosamine-containing compound and amino sugar metabolic processes, vacuole organization, oxidative phosphorylation, and phagosome pathways were notably induced. Meanwhile, oxidation-reduction process, coenzyme/cofactor binding, and metabolism of carbohydrate, nucleotide, and, amino acid were inhibited in hepatopancreas post-pubertal molt. Furthermore, a substantial number of genes involved in molt, hormone regulation, immunity, and metabolism in the hepatopancreas and ovary were significantly regulated, which revealed that molt was induced in the hepatopancreas but attenuated in the ovary, hormone regulation was suppressed in both hepatopancreas and ovary, and immune response was downregulated in hepatopancreas but upregulated in ovary after molt. Collectively, these findings may contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of the pubertal molt of female S. paramamosain.
The intensification of shrimp aquaculture has increased exposure to disease, environmental perturbations, and antimicrobial pressure, making microbial stability increasingly relevant to sustainable production. Microbiome stability—encompassing resistance to disturbance and resilience of functional recovery—provides an ecological framework for understanding how shrimp and culture-environment microbial communities respond to intensive farming. This review examines the transition from microbial homeostasis to dysbiosis and evaluates how microbiome engineering could redirect disrupted communities towards resilient states. Evidence is integrated across the intestine, hepatopancreas, rearing water, sediment and biofloc to assess how host genetics, ontogeny, diet, culture conditions, antibiotics and pollutants shape microbiome assembly and destabilization. Disease-associated changes in acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease, white faeces syndrome, Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei infection, and white spot syndrome virus infection are critically evaluated, with explicit separation of associations, pathogen-induced dysbiosis, and community-level causality. Established and emerging interventions—including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, functional diets, biofloc management, phages, postbiotics, microbiota transplantation and synthetic microbial communities—are assessed according to their capacity to modify microbial function, persistence and recovery rather than taxonomic change alone. We further examine how multi-omics, microbiome-informed breeding, and environmental monitoring could support biomarker development, predictive decision support and context-specific intervention. We argue that progress requires a shift from taxonomic description to function-guided engineering, from endpoint comparisons to direct measurement of resilience, and from laboratory efficacy to reproducible farm-scale validation. Overall, microbiome management may contribute to more disease-resilient and sustainable shrimp production, provided that its effectiveness can be validated under commercial farming conditions.
