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

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 ( Pv Kr-h1), was significantly induced in shrimp hemocytes after V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND) challenge, suggesting that Pv Kr-h1 is involved in shrimp immune response. Knockdown of Pv Kr-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 Pv Kr-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 Pv Kr-h1 regulates shrimps' immune response to V. parahaemolyticus _(AHPND) infection by suppressing antioxidant-related enzymes, enhancing ROS production and promoting nuclei import of Pv Relish to stimulate antimicrobial peptide genes expression.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2023 Zheng, Liu, Lin, Aweya, Zheng, Zhao, Chen, Li and Zhang.)