Key lncRNA-mRNA networks regulated by Polyascus sp. infection: A comparative transcriptomic analysis of the eyestalk...

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is a crustacean widely distributed in coastal and estuarine waters across China. Due to its high nutritional value, it has become a significant commercial aquaculture species in China, generating substantial economic value. Polyascus sp., which is called crab slave, can parasitize on crabs, altering the host's morphological appearance and disrupting its endocrine regulation, thereby inhibiting growth and development. To further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the host crab's response to crab slave parasitism and to elucidate the role of lncRNAs in this process, we performed comparative transcriptome sequencing analysis on the eyestalk tissues of parasitized and non-parasitized crabs. This study identified 2746 novel lncRNAs, including 735 differentially expressed lncRNAs in the male comparison groups and 394 differentially expressed lncRNAs in the female comparison groups. Concurrently, GSEA analysis of target mRNAs for differentially expressed lncRNAs revealed that Polyascus sp. parasitism influences lncRNA regulation of GO:0042302 (structural components of the cuticle), GO:0006040 (amino acid metabolism processes), and GO:0006030 (chitin metabolic process) were enriched in the male comparison (T1 vs. CK1), while GO:0044282 (small molecule catabolic process) and GO:0016627 (oxidoreductase activity, acting on the CH-CH group of donors), etc., were enriched in the female comparison (T2 vs. CK2). Furthermore, a molecular regulatory network of key lncRNA-mRNA interactions was constructed based on transcriptomic profiles. These findings provide new insights into lncRNA-mediated physiological regulation in crustaceans and highlight the pivotal role of lncRNAs in modulating expression patterns.