Bivalve larvae are highly sensitive to ocean acidification (OA) conditions, a global climate shift that applies selective pressure on calcareous marine organisms. Although a growing body of work exists on the effects of OA on bivalve larvae, most studies rely on pooled-larval sampling, which may obscure gene expression patterns by including larvae with severely underdeveloped or deformed phenotypes, which are common in OA conditions but are unlikely to survive to metamorphosis. Here, we tested a combination of single-larva transcriptomic techniques to investigate the expression of a candidate gene previously shown to be upregulated in OA conditions, Na+ K+ ATPase (NKA), in Pacific oyster larvae of known phenotypes. We found that upregulation of the NKA gene is detected primarily in larvae with a developed first shell (prodissoconch I), and was not pronounced in underdeveloped or deformed larvae, suggesting its expression reflects active shell formation under OA conditions, rather than a generalized stress response. Further, NKA mRNA was primarily localized along the dorsal shell hinge, the site of CaCO3 deposition, substantiating its role in early shell development. This study provides a methodological framework for phenotype-anchored sampling to investigate the expressional signatures underpinning successful shell development in OA conditions.
Wright-LaGreca M. D., Leask K. D., Parker L. M. & Green T. J., in review. Single-larva transcriptomics resolve phenotype-anchored Na+ K+ ATPase expression during first shell formation in Pacific oyster larvae under ocean acidification conditions. Research Square. Article.
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