Crustacean vitellogenin: A systematic and experimental analysis of their genes, genomes, mRNAs and proteins; and perspective to Next Generation Sequencing

Abstract

Crustacean vitellogenesis is a process that involves Vitellin, produced via endoproteolysis of its precursor, which is designated as Vitellogenin (Vtg). The Vtg gene, mRNA and protein regulation involve several environmental factors and physiological processes, including gonadal maturation and moult stages, among others. Once the Vtg gene, mRNAs and protein are obtained, it is possible to establish the relationship between the elements that participate in their regulation, which could either be species-specific, or tissue-specific. This work is a systematic analysis that compares the similarities and differences of Vtg genes, mRNA and Vtg between the crustacean species reported in databases with respect to that obtained from the transcriptome of Callinectes arcuatus, C.Toxotes, Penaeus stylirostris and P. vannamei obtained with MiSeq sequencing technology from Illumina. Those analyses confirm that the Vtg obtained from selected species will serve to understand the process of vitellogenesis in crustaceans that is important for fisheries and aquaculture.