title: High carotenoids content can enhance resistance of selected Pinctada fucata families to high temperature stress.
abstract: Carotenoids are a class of natural antioxidants widely found in aquatic, and they have significant effects on the growth, survival, and immunity of these organisms. To investigate the mechanisms of carotenoids in high temperature resistance, we observed the immune response of selected pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (Akoya pearl oyster) families with different carotenoids contents to high temperature stress. The results indicated that the survival rate (SR) of P. fucata decreased significantly with increase in temperature from 26 °C to 34 °C and with the decrease of total carotenoids content (TCC); when the TCC was higher, the SR tended to be higher. TCC and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) decreased significantly at 30 °C with increasing stress time. Correlation analysis indicated that TAC was positively and linearly correlated with TCC, and SR was S-type correlated with TCC and TAC. Immune analysis indicated that levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in selected families (with higher TCC) under temperature stress (at 30 °C) were generally significantly lower than in the control group (with lowest TCC) and from 0 to 96 h, the levels of each of these substances varied significantly. Levels of SOD, CAT, and MDA within each family first rose from 0 to 3 h, then decreased to their lowest point after 24 h, and then rose again to their highest levels at 96 h. When TCC was higher, the levels of SOD, CAT, and MDA tended to be lower. These findings indicated that carotenoids play an important role in improving survival rates of P. fucata under high temperature stress by enhancing animals' antioxidant system, and could serve as an index for breeding stress-resistant lines in selective breeding practices.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Resource Exploitation and Protection Collaborative Innovation Center (SCS-REPIC), South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Zihao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Resource Exploitation and Protection Collaborative Innovation Center (SCS-REPIC), South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Resource Exploitation and Protection Collaborative Innovation Center (SCS-REPIC), South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Baosuo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Resource Exploitation and Protection Collaborative Innovation Center (SCS-REPIC), South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Haimei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Resource Exploitation and Protection Collaborative Innovation Center (SCS-REPIC), South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Sigang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Resource Exploitation and Protection Collaborative Innovation Center (SCS-REPIC), South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Qinzhou University, Qinzhou 535011, Guangxi, China. Electronic address: pearlydh@163.com.
authors.forename: Dahui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D017756:Aquaculture; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects; D049911:Pinctada / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002338:Carotenoids
keywords: Antioxidants; Carotenoids; High temperature stress; Immune response; Pinctada fucata families