A bone morphogenetic protein regulates the shell formation of Crassostrea gigas under ocean acidification

Yuqian Gao; Zhaoqun Liu; Ting Zhu; Xiaoyu Xin; Yuhao Jin; Lingling Wang; Chang Liu; Linsheng Song

doi:10.1016/j.gene.2023.147687

A bone morphogenetic protein regulates the shell formation of Crassostrea gigas under ocean acidification

Gene. 2023 Oct 30:884:147687. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147687. Epub 2023 Aug 2.

Authors

Yuqian Gao¹, Zhaoqun Liu¹, Ting Zhu¹, Xiaoyu Xin¹, Yuhao Jin¹, Lingling Wang², Chang Liu³, Linsheng Song⁴

Affiliations

¹ Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China.
² Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering, Guangdong, Zhuhai 519000, China.
³ Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China. Electronic address: liuchang@dlou.edu.cn.
⁴ Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China; Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering, Guangdong, Zhuhai 519000, China. Electronic address: lshsong@dlou.edu.cn.

PMID: 37541558
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147687

Abstract

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are key factors controlling osteoblast differentiation, which have been proved to be involved in the hard tissue formation of marine mollusks. In the present study, a member of BMPs gene (CgBMP7) was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (C. gigas) with the aim to understand its possible role in the regulation of shell formation under ocean acidification (OA) conditions. The open reading frame (ORF) of CgBMP7 was of 1254 bp encoding a polypeptide of 417 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of CgBMP7 was comprised of one signal peptide, one prodomain and one TGF-β domain, which shared 21.69%-61.10% identities with those from other species. The mRNA transcript of CgBMP7 was ubiquitously expressed in all the tested tissues of adult oysters with a higher expression level in mantle, notably highest in the middle fold (MF) of the three folds of mantle. The expression level of bone morphogenetic protein type I receptor (CgBMPR1B) mRNA was also highest in the MF and up-regulated dramatically post recombinant BMP7 protein (rCgBMP7) stimulation. After the blockage of BMPR1B with inhibitor LDN193189 (LDN), the mRNA expression level and phosphorylation level of CgSmad1/5/8 in mantle were decreased, and the mRNA expression levels of CgCaM and Cgengrailed-1 were down-regulated significantly. During the oysters were exposed to acidified seawater for weeks, the expression levels of CgBMP7, CgBMPR1B and CgSmad1/5/8 in the MF decreased significantly (p < 0.01) at the 4^th week, and CgCaM and Cgengrailed-1 also exhibited the same variable expression patterns as CgBMP7. In addition, the growth of shell in the treatment group (pH 7.8) was slower than that in the control group (pH 8.1). These results collectively indicated that BMP7 was able to trigger the BMPR-Smad signaling pathway and involved in controlling the formation of oyster calcified shell under OA conditions.

Keywords: BMP7; Crassostrea gigas; Middle fold of the mantle; Ocean acidification; Shell formation.

MeSH terms

Animals
Crassostrea* / genetics
Crassostrea* / metabolism
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Ocean Acidification
RNA, Messenger / genetics
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
Seawater

Substances

RNA, Messenger