Redefinition of the reproductive stage in bivalve based on the oocyte maturation process

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14920
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 40040:Aquatic life science-related
• Research Institution: Fisheries Research and Education Agency
• Principal Investigator: MAEDA YUKI 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 水産技術研究所(廿日市), 研究員 (10756521)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: タイラギ / 二枚貝類 / 卵成熟 / ロングリードシーケンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although the qualitative method based on the observation of gonad sections has been conventionally used to evaluate the maturation stages of bivalves, this project focused on the egg maturation process and explored new molecular indicators to introduce quantitative indices. Based on the results of artificial fertilization using pen shell Atrina pectinata, the egg maturation stages were classified, and genes and proteins that were differentially expressed at each maturation stage were examined. The results revealed that several molecules showed significant expression variation at different egg maturation stages. In particular, the expression levels of two molecules, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase and 26S proteasome, tended to increase as egg maturation progressed, indicating that they may be useful as novel indicators to evaluate maturation stages of bivalves.

Free Research Field

水圏生命科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本課題では、大型二枚貝類タイラギを用いた人工受精で得られた卵細胞の網羅的発現解析を行って、卵成熟に伴って発現量が増加する分子を複数特定した。これらの分子を成熟段階評価の指標として用いることで、種苗生産に用いる親貝の選択が定量的に実施でき、安定的な種苗生産を可能にすると考えられる。また、長い領域の塩基配列を解読するロングリードシーケンスという手法を取り入れて発現遺伝子のカタログを作成し、それを基に演繹アミノ酸配列データベースを構築することで、遺伝子情報が不足している二枚貝類において効率的に分子指標探索を実施する解析手順を提案した。