Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish

Abstract Climate-driven warming affects the reproduction of oviparous ectotherms. However, whether oviparous ectotherms possess a protection mechanism against heat stress for oocyte development, which is essential for maintaining the continuity of animal populations, is largely unknown. Under high t...

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Main Authors: Long Zhang, Kun Wu, Haoyang Li, Minwen Zhan, Sheng Wang, Enhui Song, Qi Zhang, Jian He, Xinyi He, Menghuang Xu, Hengwei Deng, Yingchun Su, Ziwei Liu, Zhuyue Yan, Peipei Tan, Mengyun He, Shaoping Weng, Wei Ge, Jianguo He, Muhua Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59035-3
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author Long Zhang
Kun Wu
Haoyang Li
Minwen Zhan
Sheng Wang
Enhui Song
Qi Zhang
Jian He
Xinyi He
Menghuang Xu
Hengwei Deng
Yingchun Su
Ziwei Liu
Zhuyue Yan
Peipei Tan
Mengyun He
Shaoping Weng
Wei Ge
Jianguo He
Muhua Wang
author_facet Long Zhang
Kun Wu
Haoyang Li
Minwen Zhan
Sheng Wang
Enhui Song
Qi Zhang
Jian He
Xinyi He
Menghuang Xu
Hengwei Deng
Yingchun Su
Ziwei Liu
Zhuyue Yan
Peipei Tan
Mengyun He
Shaoping Weng
Wei Ge
Jianguo He
Muhua Wang
author_sort Long Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Climate-driven warming affects the reproduction of oviparous ectotherms. However, whether oviparous ectotherms possess a protection mechanism against heat stress for oocyte development, which is essential for maintaining the continuity of animal populations, is largely unknown. Under high temperatures, female mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain) typically have well-formed ovaries, while a few crabs were found to experience oocyte development failure. To investigate the heat stress protection mechanism of oocyte development in mud crabs, we construct a chromosome-level genome of this species and identify an enhancer of the vitellogenin receptor (VtgR) that stimulates its expression under high temperatures. Lacking this enhancer due to an intronic deletion leads to low VtgR expression in abnormal crabs, resulting in abnormal vitellogenic oocyte formation in these individuals when exposed to high temperatures. Furthermore, we identify a similar heat stress protection mechanism in zebrafish. Disruption of Lrp13, a VtgR-like protein in zebrafish, results in impaired vitellogenin absorption and ovarian degeneration in zebrafish exposed to high temperatures. Our results reveal a VtgR-mediated mechanism that protects vitellogenic oocyte formation against heat stress in mud crabs and zebrafish, contributing to their heat adaptability during oocyte development.
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spelling doaj-art-2c9bcabc2fbb45759662d18dc1002ac12025-08-20T02:17:58ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111710.1038/s41467-025-59035-3Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafishLong Zhang0Kun Wu1Haoyang Li2Minwen Zhan3Sheng Wang4Enhui Song5Qi Zhang6Jian He7Xinyi He8Menghuang Xu9Hengwei Deng10Yingchun Su11Ziwei Liu12Zhuyue Yan13Peipei Tan14Mengyun He15Shaoping Weng16Wei Ge17Jianguo He18Muhua Wang19School of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, China-ASEAN Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Mariculture Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of MacauSchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Marine Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen UniversityAbstract Climate-driven warming affects the reproduction of oviparous ectotherms. However, whether oviparous ectotherms possess a protection mechanism against heat stress for oocyte development, which is essential for maintaining the continuity of animal populations, is largely unknown. Under high temperatures, female mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain) typically have well-formed ovaries, while a few crabs were found to experience oocyte development failure. To investigate the heat stress protection mechanism of oocyte development in mud crabs, we construct a chromosome-level genome of this species and identify an enhancer of the vitellogenin receptor (VtgR) that stimulates its expression under high temperatures. Lacking this enhancer due to an intronic deletion leads to low VtgR expression in abnormal crabs, resulting in abnormal vitellogenic oocyte formation in these individuals when exposed to high temperatures. Furthermore, we identify a similar heat stress protection mechanism in zebrafish. Disruption of Lrp13, a VtgR-like protein in zebrafish, results in impaired vitellogenin absorption and ovarian degeneration in zebrafish exposed to high temperatures. Our results reveal a VtgR-mediated mechanism that protects vitellogenic oocyte formation against heat stress in mud crabs and zebrafish, contributing to their heat adaptability during oocyte development.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59035-3
spellingShingle Long Zhang
Kun Wu
Haoyang Li
Minwen Zhan
Sheng Wang
Enhui Song
Qi Zhang
Jian He
Xinyi He
Menghuang Xu
Hengwei Deng
Yingchun Su
Ziwei Liu
Zhuyue Yan
Peipei Tan
Mengyun He
Shaoping Weng
Wei Ge
Jianguo He
Muhua Wang
Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
Nature Communications
title Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
title_full Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
title_fullStr Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
title_full_unstemmed Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
title_short Vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
title_sort vitellogenin receptor mediates heat adaptability of oocyte development in mud crabs and zebrafish
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59035-3
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