Viral infection and the transcriptome of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp: The effect of Taura syndrome virus and yellow head virus in two strains of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone 1931) different in their resistance to TSV.

摘要

The Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Boone 1931) is the most widely farmed species of shrimp in the world. Despite the variety of and devastation caused by shrimp pathogens, shrimp antiviral defense mechanisms are not well understood. It is not known why some shrimp strains are less susceptible to certain diseases. This work focused on the transcriptomic changes caused by infection with two pathogenic viruses of the pacific whiteleg shrimp, Taura Syndrome Virus (TSV) and Yellow Head Virus (YHV) in two strains of L. vannamei different in their resistance to TSV. Approximately 250 genes, encompassing varied processes such as lipid and protein metabolism, cellular trafficking, immune defense and stress response, showed changes in expression due to viral infection, especially in the most advanced stages of YHV infection. Despite no genes that could be clearly responsible for the TSV resistance having been identified, this study reveals various candidate genes that could be tested through reverse genetics (RNAi).