Regulation of Vitellogenesis in the Fiddler Crab, Uca pugilator

¹ Laboratories for Invertebrate Neuroendocrine Research, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, Texas, 77843

Protein synthesis was measured in ovary and hepatopancreas of intact and eyestalk-ablated fiddler crabs(Uca pugilator) in vitro. A crude extract of eyestalks from the shrimp Penaeus setiferus inhibited ovarian weight gain in eyestalk-ablated crabs. This crude eyestalk extract also inhibited in vitro protein synthesis in ovaries from intact and eyestalk-ablated crabs. A polyclonal antibody to crab vitellogenin was used to measure vitellogenin synthesis in ovaries, hepatopancreas, and hemolymph in vitro. Gonad-inhibiting hormone was partially purified from the crude eyestalk extract. The partially purified material inhibited vitellogenin synthesis in ovarian tissues in vitro.