Comparative proteomic analysis of hepatopancreas revealed the potential mechanism of Litopenaeus vannamei against acute hepatopancreas necrosis disease

In the process of shrimp farming, Vibrio parahaemolyticus carrying virulent plasmids (VpAHPND) is one of the primary pathogens causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND). Understanding the resistance mechanisms of shrimp against VpAHPND is beneficial for the development of effective treatment and breeding strategies. To systematically comprehend the resistance mechanisms, we utilized a comparative proteomic approach to analyze the different protein expression profiles in the hepatopancreas of two Litopenaeus vannamei families with different resistances to AHPND. We discovered that, without VpAHPND infection, the proteins highly expressed in the resistant family primarily participate in immune processes such as hemocyte proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, autophagy, phagocytosis, lectins, antibacterial, and bactericidal activities; whereas most proteins involved in the digestion and metabolism of proteins, lipids, vitamins, glucose, carbohydrates, and serine metabolism were highly expressed in the susceptible family. Interestingly, after VpAHPND challenge, most of the identified immune-related proteins remained highly expressed in the resistant family, while most of the metabolism-related proteins continued to be highly expressed in the susceptible family. These findings suggest that the different expression profiles of proteins related to immunity and metabolism in the hepatopancreas may be a significant factor contributing to the varying resistances of shrimp to VpAHPND. These results offer a reference for understanding the resistance mechanisms of shrimp against VpAHPND and provide theoretical support for the development of effective breeding strategies of anti-VpAHPND shrimp varieties.