Ocean acidification but not hypoxia alters the gonad performance in the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Ting Wang; Hui Kong; Yueyong Shang; Sam Dupont; Jinxia Peng; Xinghuo Wang; Yuewen Deng; Jinxia Peng; Menghong Hu; Youji Wang

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112282

Ocean acidification but not hypoxia alters the gonad performance in the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Jun:167:112282. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112282. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Authors

Ting Wang¹, Hui Kong¹, Yueyong Shang¹, Sam Dupont², Jinxia Peng³, Xinghuo Wang¹, Yuewen Deng⁴, Jinxia Peng³, Menghong Hu⁵, Youji Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
² Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kristineberg Marine Research Station, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
³ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
⁴ Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.
⁵ International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address: mhhu@shou.edu.cn.
⁶ International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address: youjiwang2@gmail.com.

PMID: 33780757
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112282

Abstract

Ocean acidification and hypoxia have become increasingly severe in coastal areas, and their co-occurrence poses emerging threats to coastal ecosystems. Here, we investigated the combined effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia on the reproductive capacity of the thick-shelled mussel Mytilus coruscus. Our results demonstrated low pH but not low oxygen induced decreased gonadosomatic index (GSI) in mussels. Male mussels had a lower level of sex steroids (estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone) when kept at low pH. Expression of genes related to reproduction were also impacted by low pH with a downregulation of genes involved in gonad development in males (β-catenin and Wnt-7b involved in males) and an upregulation of testosterone synthesis inhibition-related gene (Wnt-4) in females. Overall, our results suggest that ocean acidification has an impact on the gonadal development through an alternation of gene expression and level of steroids while hypoxia had no significant effect.

Keywords: Gonadal development; Hypoxia; Mussel; Ocean acidification; Sex steroids.

MeSH terms

Animals
Ecosystem
Gonads
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Hypoxia
Male
Mytilus*
Oceans and Seas
Seawater