Kruppel homolog 1 modulates ROS production and antimicrobial peptides expression in shrimp hemocytes during infection by the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain that causes AHPND

Zhou Zheng; Shangjie Liu; Zhongyang Lin; Jude Juventus Aweya; Zhihong Zheng; Yongzhen Zhao; Xiuli Chen; Shengkang Li; Yueling Zhang

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1246181

Kruppel homolog 1 modulates ROS production and antimicrobial peptides expression in shrimp hemocytes during infection by the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain that causes AHPND

Front Immunol. 2023 Aug 29:14:1246181. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1246181. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhou Zheng^{1

2}, Shangjie Liu^{1

2}, Zhongyang Lin¹, Jude Juventus Aweya^{1

3}, Zhihong Zheng¹, Yongzhen Zhao⁴, Xiuli Chen⁴, Shengkang Li¹, Yueling Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China.
² Department of Medical Laboratory and Department of Reproductive Medicine, Luohu Clinical College of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou University, Shantou, China.
³ College of Ocean Food and Biological Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
⁴ Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Nanning, China.

Abstract

Shrimp aquaculture has been seriously affected by acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), caused by a strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that carries the Pir toxin plasmids (V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND)). In this study, the transcription factor, Kruppel homolog 1-like of Peneaus vannamei (PvKr-h1), was significantly induced in shrimp hemocytes after V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND) challenge, suggesting that PvKr-h1 is involved in shrimp immune response. Knockdown of PvKr-h1 followed by V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND) challenge increased bacterial abundance in shrimp hemolymph coupled with high shrimp mortality. Moreover, transcriptome and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that PvKr-h1 silencing followed by V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND) challenge dysregulated the expression of several antioxidant-related enzyme genes, such as Cu-Zu SOD, GPX, and GST, and antimicrobial peptide genes, i.e., CRUs and PENs, and reduced ROS activity and nuclear translocation of Relish. These data reveal that PvKr-h1 regulates shrimps' immune response to V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND) infection by suppressing antioxidant-related enzymes, enhancing ROS production and promoting nuclei import of PvRelish to stimulate antimicrobial peptide genes expression.

Keywords: AHPND; IMD/Relish; Kr-h1; Penaeus vannamei; ROS; antimicrobial peptides.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Animals
Antimicrobial Peptides
Antioxidants
Crustacea
Hemocytes
Necrosis
Reactive Oxygen Species
Vibrio parahaemolyticus*

Substances

Antioxidants
Reactive Oxygen Species
Antimicrobial Peptides

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. U22A20536, 32073008 and 81903649) and Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 2022A1515011149).