Study on sex differential metabolites and metabolic pathway of parental tropical sea cucumbers Holothuria scabra

Abstract:

In order to clarify the differences in metabolism between female and male relatives of tropical sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra), the sex-specific metabolites in their coelomic fluid were explored by a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry metabolite analysis, and the sex-specific metabolites and pathways were analyzed. The results showed that compared with male sea cucumbers, a total of 1352 up-regulated metabolites and 943 down-regulated metabolites were screened in the coelomic fluid of female sea cucumbers. According to a database comparison and annotation, a total of 66 metabolites with significant differences (P≤0.05, VIP≥1) were selected. Among them, β-carotene has the potential to be a gender difference metabolic marker. Spermidine and fatty acids that are less demanded by other organs were found at higher concentrations in females and males, respectively. We speculated that these compounds may be used by other physiological functions. In addition, it was also found that male coelomic fluid tended to accumulate xenobiotics. Metabolic pathway analysis by KEGG showed that the gonadal development-related pathways, glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and tyrosine metabolism of male sea cucumbers all occurred in the coelomic fluid. The gonadal development of female and male sea cucumbers was affected by sex hormones, which may be regulated by dopamine and have gender differences.