title: Transcriptomic analysis of the autophagy machinery in crustaceans.
abstract: The giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is a decapod crustacean that is commercially important as a food source. Farming of commercial crustaceans requires an efficient management strategy because the animals are easily subjected to stress and diseases during the culture. Autophagy, a stress response process, is well-documented and conserved in most animals, yet it is poorly studied in crustaceans.
  
  
  
  In this study, we have performed an in silico search for transcripts encoding autophagy-related (Atg) proteins within various tissue transcriptomes of M. rosenbergii. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) search using previously known Atg proteins as queries revealed 41 transcripts encoding homologous M. rosenbergii Atg proteins. Among these Atg proteins, we selected commonly used autophagy markers, including Beclin 1, vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) 34, microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (MAP1LC3B), p62/sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (Lamp-1) for further sequence analyses using comparative alignment and protein structural prediction. We found that crustacean autophagy marker proteins contain conserved motifs typical of other animal Atg proteins. Western blotting using commercial antibodies raised against human Atg marker proteins indicated their presence in various M. rosenbergii tissues, while immunohistochemistry localized Atg marker proteins within ovarian tissue, specifically late stage oocytes.
  
  
  
  This study demonstrates that the molecular components of autophagic process are conserved in crustaceans, which is comparable to autophagic process in mammals. Furthermore, it provides a foundation for further studies of autophagy in crustaceans that may lead to more understanding of the reproduction- and stress-related autophagy, which will enable the efficient aquaculture practices.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.|Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia.
authors: Saowaros
authors: S
authors: Suwansa-Ard
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.|Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Amedeo Avogadro University, Novara, Italy.
authors: Wilairat
authors: W
authors: Kankuan
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.|School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.
authors: Tipsuda
authors: T
authors: Thongbuakaew
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand.
authors: Jirawat
authors: J
authors: Saetan
authors: Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammsat University, Klongluang, Phathumthani, Thailand.
authors: Napamanee
authors: N
authors: Kornthong
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Thanapong
authors: T
authors: Kruangkum
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Kanjana
authors: K
authors: Khornchatri
authors: Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia.
authors: Scott F
authors: SF
authors: Cummins
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Amedeo Avogadro University, Novara, Italy. ciro.isidoro@med.uniupo.it.
authors: Ciro
authors: C
authors: Isidoro
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. prasert.sob@mahidol.ac.th.|Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand. prasert.sob@mahidol.ac.th.
authors: Prasert
authors: 0000-0003-4018-5487
authors: P
authors: Sobhon
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers; D003445:Crustacea / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D057225:Data Mining; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D008322:Mammals; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Autophagy; Autophagy markers; Crustaceans; Nervous system; Ovary; Transcriptome