Innate immune responses and metabolic alterations of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) in response to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection

Xusheng Zhang; Xixiang Tang; Ngoc Tuan Tran; Ying Huang; Yi Gong; Yueling Zhang; Huaiping Zheng; Hongyu Ma; Shengkang Li

doi:10.1016/j.fsi.2019.01.011

Innate immune responses and metabolic alterations of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) in response to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection

Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2019 Apr:87:166-177. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.01.011. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Authors

Xusheng Zhang¹, Xixiang Tang², Ngoc Tuan Tran¹, Ying Huang³, Yi Gong¹, Yueling Zhang¹, Huaiping Zheng¹, Hongyu Ma¹, Shengkang Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; Marine Biology Institute, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
² Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.
³ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; Marine Biology Institute, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
⁴ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; Marine Biology Institute, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China. Electronic address: lisk@stu.edu.cn.

PMID: 30639477
DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.01.011

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is one of the major pathogens caused diseases in cultured mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). Mud crabs lack an adaptive immune system, their defenses depend almost on innate immunity. Evaluation of the molecular responses of mud crabs to pathogens is essential for control of disease occurrence in farmed animals. In this study, the impacts of V. parahaemolyticus on immunity-related genes and metabolites in mud crabs of different groups (PG, SG and MG refer to controlled, survival and moribund groups, respectively) were investigated. Our results revealed that V. parahaemolyticus infection stimulated significant expressions of immune-related genes (prophenoloxidase, alpha 2-macroglobulin, lysosomal-associated membrane protein, Rab5, C-type lectin B and anti-lipopolysaccharide factor 5) in the MG within 72 h post-infection. The ATP content was significantly reduced in all tissues except muscle of moribund mud crabs. A total of 668 metabolites (including 190 down-regulated and 145 up-regulated) were identified and assigned to 77 pathways in both SG and MG. Metabolites involved in the saturated fatty acid are up-regulated, whereas unsaturated fatty acid and amino acid metabolisms are down-regulated in the immune system of mud crabs during the bacterial infection in MG. Furthermore, a reduction of hemocyte number and an increase of microbial abundance was found in MG. Our results demonstrated that V. parahaemolyticus induced death of mud crabs through reducing the metabolites associate with energy biosynthesis and innate immune system (i.e. proliferation of hemocyte and melanization), resulting in decrease of ATP in different tissues and failed to clearance of pathogens, respectively. The findings of this study provide a basic information of the responses of mud crab on bacterial infection, which is essential for prevention and control of diseases in mud crab aquaculture.

Keywords: ATP; Hemocyte; Immune responses; Metabolomic; Microbial abundant; Scylla paramamosain.

MeSH terms

Animals
Aquaculture
Brachyura / genetics
Brachyura / immunology*
Brachyura / metabolism
Brachyura / microbiology*
Gene Expression Regulation
Hemocytes / immunology
Immunity, Innate
Vibrio parahaemolyticus / immunology*