Transcriptome Analysis Reveals New Insights into the Respiration Metabolism Mechanism of Different Feeding Rations of Sea Cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus)

Sea cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus)is an excellent model for investigating effects of bottom-dwellers on carbon mig-ration and transformation.However,the molecular mechanism of respiratory metabolism process variation caused by feeding rations is poorly understood.In this study,treatment groups set as 1%(about 0.63g),3%,and 7%of total body weight(named F1,F3 and F7 groups respectively).The potential molecular mechanisms behind the functions of respiratory tree and body wall were investigated by RNA-Seq.A total of 52411 expressed genes were identified from 89342 expressed transcripts.The results showed 759,254 and 334 genes were up-regulated,and 334,445 and 992 genes were down-regulated in respiratory tree of F1 vs.F3,F1 vs.F7 and F3 vs.F7,respectively.Meanwhile,2070,1601 and 896 genes were up-regulated,and 1303,1337 and 1144 genes were down-regulated in body wall between F1 vs.F3,F1 vs.F7 and F3 vs.F7,respectively.Differentially expressed genes were enriched in salivary secretion and ECM-receptor interaction pathways in respiratory tree,and in various types of N-glycan biosynthesis,ribosome and sphingolipid metabolism pathways in body wall.These results suggested respiratory tree and body wall were involved in activation of respiratory metabolisms in response to different feeding rations.Our research provided valuable knowledge for physiological differences in res-piratory metabolism.