Revealing Mytilus galloprovincialis transcriptomic profiles during ontogeny

On the other hand during metamorphosis a specific profile of differentially expressed genes was found. These genes were related to processes such as differentiation and biosynthesis. Processes related to the immune response were strongly down regulated. These suggest a development commitment at the expense of other non-essential functions, which are temporary set aside. Immune genes such as antimicrobial peptides suffer a decreased expression during metamorphosis. In fact, we found that the oocytes which express a higher quantity of genes such as myticins are more likely to reach success of the offspring, compared to oocytes poor in such mRNAs, whose progeny died before reaching metamorphosis.