Expression of immune-related genes in the oyster Crassostrea gigas during ontogenesis

• Published in: Developmental & Comparative Immunology
• Main Authors: Tirape, Ana, Bacque, Coralie, Brizard, Raphael, Vandenbulcke, Franck, Boulo, Viviane
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2007
• Subjects: Rel/NF kappa B pathway; Cell proliferation; Hematopoiesis; Mollusk immunity; Hemocytes; Bivalve mollusk; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/2612/2227.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2007.01.005; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/2612/

The work presented here reports the expression of immune-related genes during ontogenesis in the oyster Crassostrea gigar. Expression patterns of 18 selected genes showed that RNAs detected in oocytes and 2-4 cell embryos are of maternal origin and that gene transcription starts early after fertilization. The expression patterns of 4 genes (Cg-timp, Cg-tal, Cg-EcSOD and Drac3) suggested that hemocytes appear in the gastrula-trochophore stages. The localization of Cg-tal expression suggested that hematopoietic cells were derived from vessels and/or artery endothelia cells. Moreover, a bacterial challenge affected the level of expression of genes. Indeed, a change in expression levels was observed for Cg-LBP/BPI, Cg-timp, Drac3 and Cg-MyD88 genes in larval stages upon exposure to non-pathogenic bacteria. In early juveniles, a modulation was also observed for Cg-LBP/BPI, Cg-timp, Cg-MyD88 and for Cg-tal, according to the concentration of bacteria. Altogether, the results showed that studying the appearance of immunocompetent cells through their ability to express immune-related genes is a tool to gain insight the ontogenesis of the oyster immune system. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.