Abstract
BACKGROUND: The endoparasitic rhizocephalan Parasacculina sinensis has a radically simplified morphology and primarily infests decapods crustaceans. Rhizocephalan barnacles usually absorb nutrients from the host through a complex rootlet system (the interna), and also change the morphology, physiology and behavior of their hosts. However, little is known about the transcriptomic landscape, ultrastructural details and gene expression of the interna rootlets in the group. In this study, we investigated the structural and molecular signatures of the interna of P. sinensis by using detailed histological staining and transcriptomic analyses. RESULTS: The interconnected F-actin nodal network, lipid droplets, and nucleus of interna rootlets were visualized using fluorescence straining. We successfully obtained a clean transcriptome of P. sinensis and conducted functional analyses of interna embedded within host hepatopancreas, claw muscle, and eyestalk. The gene ontology (GO) terms related to translation, metabolic process, biosynthetic process, cellular process were highly expressed in the top 10% transcripts from the interna. The GO category of shared differential expression of genes (DEGs) among internae was related to embryonic development. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and the GO term neurotransmitter transporter activity were identified in the shared DEGs among internae. The interna entangled within host hepatopancreas, eyestalk and claw muscle fibers had similarities and differences in the functional biology. Additionally, the interna specific candidate genes probably involved in host immune, lipid metabolism, molting and growth were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates an in-depth function of interna rootlets of P. sinensis and reveals potential mechanisms of parasite host control. This study provides novel information to further investigate the evolutionary drivers of parasitism in barnacles.