Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone precursor transcripts in the hemocytes of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii: novel sequence characteristics relating to gene splicing pattern and transcript stability.

It was demonstrated in a previous study (Wu et al., 2012b) that crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) gene is expressed in the hemocyte of Procambarus clarkii. In the present study, 2 additional cDNAs (CHH2-L and tCHH2) from the hemocyte and a CHH gene (CHH2) from the abdominal muscle of the same species were cloned.

Demonstration of expression of a neuropeptide-encoding gene in crustacean hemocytes.

Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) was originally identified in a neuroendocrine system-the X-organ/sinus gland complex. In this study, a cDNA (Prc-CHH) encoding CHH precursor was cloned from the hemocyte of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Analysis of tissues by a CHH-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed the presence of CHH in hemocytes, the levels of which were much lower than those in the sinus gland, but 2 to 10 times higher than those in the thoracic and cerebral ganglia.