Ontogenesis of metabolic gene expression in whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei): New molecular tools for programming in the future

Nutritional programming is a very promising strategy for modifying nutrient metabolism to better adapt animals to new diets. Although it is a well-known approach in fish-farmed species, it has never been applied in marine shrimp. A preliminary requirement to perform nutritional programming is to identify the best developmental window for early stimulus. The objective of the present study was to characterize the ontogenesis of the expression of the main genes involved in digestion and metabolism in white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Four genes involved in digestion, 11 genes in intermediary metabolism (glucose, amino acid and lipid metabolism) and 5 genes in energy metabolism (mitochondria) were studied at 10 different developmental stages (from eggs 8 h after fertilization - up to post-larval substage 5) using qRT-PCR for measuring mRNA levels. Our data show that almost all of the studied genes present higher mRNA levels during the protozoea substage Z1, which could be explained by the endogenous-exogenous feeding transition in white shrimp. In conclusion, Z1 substage shows a high molecular plasticity for metabolism which becomes the preferential developmental window for future programming experiments in L. vannamei. Statement of relevance: Our study aimed at characterizing for the first time the ontogenesis of expressions of genes involved in intermediary metabolism (nutrient metabolism). This approach determined developmental windows with high molecular plasticity (Z1 and PL stages). These data will support future studies in nutritional programming for the whiteleg shrimp by determining the timing for early stimulus.