Activity of glutathione S-transferase in the hepatopancreas is not influenced by the molting cycle in the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the hepatopancreas of crustaceans has been suggested as a biomarker for organic pollution. However, much of crustacean physiology is known to exhibit a cyclic characteristic because of the periodic shedding of the confining exoskeleton. The goal of this study was to determine whether hepatopancreatic GST activity varies during the molting cycle using the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, as the model. Neither the molting cycle nor 20-hydroxyecdysone injection had a significant effect on hepatopancreatic GST activity, suggesting GST activity is not under control of the molting hormone in Uca pugilator.