Molecular Insights into Hydrogen Sulfide Defense: A Tissue-Resolved Transcriptomic Study in the Crab Eriocheir sinensis
Description
The increasing threat of multiple abiotic stressors in aquatic ecosystems has raised significant ecological concerns. While molecular responses to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) have been studied in some aquatic species, the tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms in the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the tissue-specific transcriptomic responses of E. sinensis to H₂S exposure (0, 0.1, and 5 mg/L) across four tissues: hepatopancreas, gill, muscle, and intestine. Our analysis revealed significant enrichment of serine endopeptidase activity and tyrosine metabolism pathways, highlighting their key role in mitigating H₂S-induced damage. Furthermore, high-concentration H₂S exposure markedly up-regulated antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GSH-PX) and related genes (SOD1, GPX1, HO-1), whereas cytochrome c oxidase (COX) expression was suppressed, indicating concurrent oxidative stress and disruption of energy metabolism. These findings provide novel molecular insights into H₂S toxicity in crustaceans and hold valuable implications for both ecological risk assessment and sustainable aquaculture practices.