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Effects of sex and color phase on ion regulation in the invasive European green crab, Carcinus maenas

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Abstract

The European green crab, Carcinus maenas, is a globally invasive species with detrimental impacts on the ecology and economy in affected areas, and the focus of many studies has been to examine both its ecology and physiology to gain a better understanding of this invasiveness. Green crabs exhibit a ventral color change from green to yellow then orange to red as they progress through intermolt. Previous studies documented red color phase males as less tolerant to environmental stress, but cellular- and molecular-level investigations into sex differences in regard to these color phases are lacking. In this study, red and green color phases of both sexes were exposed to low salinity (10 ppt) and assessed for whole animal performance, and indicators of cellular stress and energy status were measured in the gills as mRNA and protein expression. Red phase individuals exhibited poorer whole animal performance during low salinity exposure, where females outperformed males. Consistently, higher hemolymph osmolality in green phase animals was facilitated through increased mRNA expression of ion transport drivers in both sexes, but females showed elevated mRNA levels under control conditions with subsequently diminished upregulation during low salinity exposure. Differential physiological responses can have a significant impact on future invasions of this species. The approach in this study highlights the increased resilience of female animals in both color phases revealing that taking the molt cycle and sex-dependent variability into account is crucial for understanding and predicting the success of future invasions.

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Abbreviations

AMPK:

AMP-activated protein kinase

HSP70:

Heat-shock protein 70

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Shaun Gill for building and maintaining the treadmill, and Angela Cicia and Casey Toombs for assistance in the lab. This project was funded by National Science Foundation Grant NSF IOB-0640478 to M.F.

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  1. Department of Marine Sciences, University of New England, 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, ME, 04005, USA

    Kelly E. Pennoyer, Anthony R. Himes & Markus Frederich

  2. Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA

    Anthony R. Himes

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Pennoyer, K.E., Himes, A.R. & Frederich, M. Effects of sex and color phase on ion regulation in the invasive European green crab, Carcinus maenas . Mar Biol 163, 137 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2910-2

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