Developing Tools and Resources for Maturation Control in Bivalvia

Abstract

The significance of environmental stress and the physiology of bivalve mollusks is investigated under multiple- stressor conditions. The primary study animals are Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and Geoduck clams (Panopea generosa) because they are the primary species of concern for the Aquaculture industry on the West Coast of the US. A laboratory study was performed with diploids and chemically induced triploids Pacific oysters under three increasingly stressful environmental conditions. There was an elevated response of the metabolic enzyme citrate-synthase during multiple-stress treatment. Differential mortality between triploid and diploid oysters was also observed in conjunction with field studies and farm observations. To investigate alternatives to triploidy for enhanced growth and marketability in the shellfish aquaculture industry, genomic and proteomic annotations were generated for Pacific geoduck leveraging previous resources from five other clam species: Mercenaria mercenaria, Archivesica marissinica, Ruditapes philippinarum, Spinsula solida, and Mactra quadrangularis. Reproductive genes with high homology were the focus of this study for potential gene silencing applications. In addition, the feasibility of using Electroporation and Morpholino-oligomers for molecular delivery in both Pacific oysters and Geoduck clams was investigated. This research provides valuable insights into stress tolerance, reproductive genetics, and gene silencing potential in these economically and ecologically significant shellfish species.