Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of the ecdysone receptor from the spiny lobster Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Decapoda, Palinuridae)
Abstract The ecdysone receptor (EcR) is a crucial nuclear transcription factor that participates in ecdysteroid signalling. In this study, cDNA of EcR in Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus, 1758) (PhEcR) was cloned and characterized. PhEcR cDNA was 3141 bp, in which a 12 bp insert/deletion splice variant region in the hinge domain was identified. PhEcR mRNA presented the most abundant expression in the ovary. PhEcR mRNA expression was rapidly upregulated in the premoult stage and downregulated in the ecdysis stage. PhEcR mRNA maintained a relatively high expression level from egg-nauplius stage to embryo stage with compound eye pigments formed. The transcript levels of PhEcR in muscle were up-regulated on the 5th and 10th day after antenna ablation. These data suggest that PhEcR may not only play a vital role in the ecdysteroid signalling, but also have relation to embryonic development and limb regeneration.