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

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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1246181

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1246181

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>Shrimp aquaculture has been seriously affected by acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), caused by a strain of <italic>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</italic> that carries the Pir toxin plasmids (<italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic><sub>(AHPND)</sub>). In this study, the transcription factor, Kruppel homolog 1-like of <italic>Peneaus vannamei</italic> (<italic>Pv</italic>Kr-h1), was significantly induced in shrimp hemocytes after <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic><sub>(AHPND)</sub> challenge, suggesting that <italic>Pv</italic>Kr-h1 is involved in shrimp immune response. Knockdown of <italic>Pv</italic>Kr-h1 followed by <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic><sub>(AHPND)</sub> challenge increased bacterial abundance in shrimp hemolymph coupled with high shrimp mortality. Moreover, transcriptome and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that <italic>Pv</italic>Kr-h1 silencing followed by <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic><sub>(AHPND)</sub> 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 <italic>Pv</italic>Kr-h1 regulates shrimps’ immune response to <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic><sub>(AHPND)</sub> infection by suppressing antioxidant-related enzymes, enhancing ROS production and promoting nuclei import of <italic>Pv</italic>Relish to stimulate antimicrobial peptide genes expression.</p>