PERIVITELLIN SYNTHESIS ADAPTS TO REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE SNAIL Pomacea canaliculata

DREON, MARCOS SEBASTIÁN; SAVEANU, LUCÍA; HERAS, HORACIO; CADIERNO, MARÍA PILAR; MARTÍN, PABLO RAFAEL

Córdoba

Congreso; LII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Bioquímica y Bilogía Molecular; 2016

The invasive snail Pomacea canaliculata, is a serious crop pest and a host of a parasite that causes human meningoencephalitis. Its high fecundity is an important component of its invasive capacity. The albumen gland (AG) is a key reproductive organ that supplies eggs with nutrients and defensive compounds. Among them, the two most abundant egg perivitellins (80% of total protein), PcOvo and PcPV2, are exclusively synthesized and stored in the AG.Our objective was to evaluate the AG perivitellin expression along the reproductive period. To that aim, PcOvo and PcPV2 expression was analyzed in virgin and mated females, after the first oviposition and after a short and a long period of serial oviposition events. Gene expression was determined by qPCR and protein levels were quantified by ELISA. Perivitellin levels and their expression rates were affected by oviposition. After the short oviposition period levels of stored PcOvo and PcPV2 decreased to 46% and 37% respectively, while a compensatory gene overexpression occurred increasing 2.2 and 3.4 times, respectively. After a long oviposition period, perivitellin level further decrease by 79%. The high synthesis of the gland was reflected in females depositing a total egg dry biomass that was nearly twice the AG biomass of virgin females. Our results indicate a remarkable biochemical adaptation explaining the high oviposition output.