Metabolomic Analysis Reveal the metabolic physiology of Evisceration Behavior in Apostichopus japonicus

In this study, Ultraperformance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was performed on the coelomic fluids of evisceration and normal sea cucumbers to detect the change of metabolites and metabolic pathways in the process of evisceration behavior. In total, 9 increased and 11 decreased metabolites were identified from the eviscerated coelomic fluids of sea cucumbers. These metabolites included phosphatidylethanolamine, glucosylceramide, L-tryptophan, carbamic acid, cyclohexylamine and so on. In addition, 5 significant changed signaling pathways are also acquired from the enrichment of metabolic pathway analyses, and they are “GPI-anchor biosynthesis”, “Regulation of autophagy”, “Sphingolipid metabolism”, “Nitrogen metabolism”, and “Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis”. These results first presented valuable data of potential physiological mechanisms underlying evisceration behavior of A. japonicus, which would have important implications for the aquaculture and transportation of sea cucumbers.