Protein production and the moulting cycle in the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus—I

Hepatopancreatic multi‐transcript expression patterns in the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus during the moult cycle

“…As the hepatopancreas is the major crustacean storage and metabolic organ, it was hypothesized that patterns of gene expression in this organ would change during the moult cycle. Support for this hypothesis was obtained from the results of Bielefeld et al (1986) who studied hepatopancreatic moult-related transcript and protein expression profiles of the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus. Indeed, gene expression patterns related to the intermoult-premoult, and premoult-postmoult transitions were identified and characterized in the present study.…”

“…Ecdysteroids, the moulting hormones common to all arthropods, are synthesized in the crustacean Y-organs, endocrine steroidogenic glands of ectodermal origin (reviewed in Lachaise et al, 1993). The increase in ecdysteroid synthesis at the onset of premoult leads to a surge of circulating 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) that triggers a programmed synthesis of proteins in the epidermis and the hepatopancreas (Bielefeld et al, 1986;Traub et al, 1987;Stringfellow & Skinner, 1988). For successful ecdysis, a decrease in the 20E level is required immediately prior to moulting; without this drop ecdysis is delayed (Chang et al, 1993).…”