Differential analysis of the haemolymph proteome of Carcinus maenas parasitized by Sacculina carcini (Cirripeda, Rhizocephala) reveals potential mechanisms of parasite control

Abstract

Sacculina carcini is an endoparasite of the green crab, Carcinus maenas. This parasite induces behavioural changes in its host and affects its metabolism by inhibiting moulting and reproduction. Using a proteomic approach in mass spectrometry, we studied the haemolymph proteomes of healthy and parasitized wild green crabs from Brittany, France to identify proteins that are differentially expressed as a consequence of parasitization. We also investigated specific proteins involved in reproduction, moulting, and immunity. We detected 77 proteins for females and 53 proteins for males that were differentially present between the healthy and parasitized crabs, some of which were sex-specific. Detection of these differentially expressed proteins suggests that the parasite can inhibit and promote different aspects of the immune response of the host. Sacculina appears to inhibit host melanisation for self-protection, while promoting the presence of immune factors, such as antimicrobial peptides to cope with possible bacterial superinfections. Moreover, one protein, juvenile hormone esterase-like carboxylesterase, was 17-times more abundant in parasitized crabs than in healthy crabs and may be responsible for inhibiting moulting and reproduction in parasitized crabs, thus ensuring the success of Sacculina reproduction.

Keywords: Carcinus maenas; Comparative proteomics; Mass spectrometry; Parasite cirriped rhizocephala; Sacculina carcini.