Differences in glycogen and lipid accumulation and mobilization during ovarian maturation in female Litopenaeus vannamei

Glycogen and lipid accumulation and mobilization exhibited significant variations among different tissues of female Litopenaeus vannamei during ovarian maturation, yet the underlying mechanism remained incompletely elucidated. This study was conducted to elucidate the distinctive differences in glycogen and lipid accumulation and mobilization throughout the ovary maturation process (stages II–V) in L. vannamei. Our findings revealed that during ovarian maturation, the ovary consistently accumulated substantial amounts of glycogen and fatty acids, which were actively mobilized not only from the hepatopancreas and muscle but also from their ovary synthesis. Moreover, a significant downregulation trend (P < 0.05) among all tissues was observed in glycogen and lipids metabolism-related genes and ILPs/AKT/PI3K signaling pathway–related genes. Consequently, we proposed that stages II–III represent the active period of rapid glycogen and lipid accumulation and mobilization in L. vannamei compared to stages IV–V. These results provided deeper insights into the mechanisms governing glycogen and lipid accumulation and mobilization during ovarian maturation in L. vannamei.