Proteomic analysis of the hepatopancreas of Exopalaemon carinicauda in response to Metschnikowia bicuspidate infection

Shi, Wenjun, et al. “Proteomic analysis of the hepatopancreas of Exopalaemon carinicauda in response to Metschnikowia bicuspidate infection.” Aquaculture Reports 30 (2023): 101550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2023.101550

Abstract

The ridge-tail white prawn, Exopalaemon carinicauda, is an important economic shrimp in the mariculture of China, especially in Jiangsu Province. The “zombie disease” of ridge-tail prawn is a new epidemic that is a highly transmissible and pathogenic fungal disease caused by Metschnikowia bicuspidate infection. To understand the response mechanism of E. carinicauda after M. bicuspidate infection, the hepatopancreas of shrimp injected with M. bicuspidate MQ2101 and normal saline solution were used for proteomics analysis. A total of 5078 proteins were identified, of which 1708 proteins were identified as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs, 1311 upregulated and 397 downregulated) using a 1.2-fold change in expression as a physiologically significant benchmark. These DEPs were mainly involved in cellular processes, single-organism processes, and metabolic processes in the GO enrichment analysis and metabolism, translation, signal transduction, cell growth and death, and immune system pathways in the KEGG enrichment analysis. The DEPs related to immunity and metabolism were significantly changed, such as CTSB, CPs, DSP1, GDP, and ADH3, and these proteins might be potential determinants of E. carinicauda responses to M. bicuspidata infection. qRTsingle bondPCR was used to detect changes in the expression of nine DEP-related genes at the transcriptional level to validate the proteomics analysis results, and the results of the transcription tendencies in qRTsingle bondPCR were consistent with proteomics analysis. The results of this study might provide an important theoretical basis for the response mechanism of ridge-tail white prawns to M. bicuspidate infection and scientific prevention and control of this fungus in ridge-tail white prawn aquaculture.