Molecular identification and putative role of insulin growth factor binding protein-related protein (IGFBP-rp) in the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus

[Display omitted] •IGFBP-rp expression was assessed in the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus.•PtIGFBP-rp and PtIAG share similarity in expression patterns during AG development.•PtIGFBP-rp may be involved in IAG signaling network by direct or indirect regulation of PtIAG gene. The insulin-like growth factor/insulin-like polypeptide (IGF/ILP) signaling is vital for growth, physiological metabolism, development, and reproduction. Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP) is involved in the insulin signaling pathway in both vertebrates and invertebrates and is critical for various physiology functions. Herein, we cloned and characterized the full-length cDNA of IGFBP-rp in the swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus (PtIGFBP-rp). The deduced amino acid sequence of PtIGFBP-rp was found to contain three key domains (insulin-like binding (IB) domain, the kazale-type serine protease inhibitor (KAZAL) domain, and the immunoglobulin-like C2 (IGc2) domain). Results showed that PtIGFBP-rp shared the same expression pattern as P. trituberculatus insulin androgenic gland hormone (PtIAG) transcripts during the embryonic larval, juvenile crab stage and the androgenic gland (AG) developmental cycle. Moreover, PtIGFBP-rp transcripts were also present in high abundance in hepatopancreas, muscle, and androgenic glands. The regulatory relationship between PtIGFBP-rp and PtIAG was investigated by RNA interference and co-localization assays, which showed a co-localization relationship and feedback regulation between them. Bilateral eye stalk ablation (ESA) increased the expression of PtIGFBP-rp in the AG at 7 d after surgery. These results demonstrate the involvement of PtIGFBP-rp in the signaling regulatory network of IAG in P. trituberculatus.