The discovery of disease resistance-related factors based on exoskeleton components in the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

Shrimp are globally important aquaculture species and a valuable source of protein; the sustainable development of shrimp farming faces serious challenges, however, due to a variety of diseases that affect this species. Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), caused by specific Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains (VpAHPND), leads to rapid, large-scale mortality in shrimp, especially the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Without effective vaccines or immune stimulants, gaining a thorough understanding of shrimp innate immunity is vital to achieve AHPND control. The shrimp exoskeleton offers structural protection and acts as the first line of innate immunity. It also contains immune-active, disease-resistant components that may indicate AHPND resistance. In this study, we challenged eight different L. vannamei families with VpAHPND to identify those with the highest and lowest levels of resistance to AHPND. We subsequently performed functional enrichment analysis of proteomic and metabolomic differences in the exoskeleton. Although numerous differential proteins and metabolites were detected across the comparison groups, all identified potential resistance indicators were proteins, including C-type lectins, serine protease inhibitors, and anti-lipopolysaccharide factors. The findings presented herein provide new insights into the innate immune mechanisms of shrimp and offer a foundation for developing molecular indicators of AHPND resistance.