Effects of lipopolysaccharide on gene expression of antimicrobial peptides (penaeidins and crustin), serine proteinase and prophenoloxidase in haemocytes of the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

For shrimp immune defences, prophenoloxidase (proPO) activating system and antimicrobial peptides in circulating haemocytes play important roles. In the present study, the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection on gene expression of penaeidins, crustin, serine proteinase and proPO in haemocytes were determined using real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. After injection of LPS, mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides, penaeidin 2 (PEN2), penaeidin 3 (PEN3), penaeidin 4 (PEN4) and crustin decreased in a dose-dependent manner, while mRNA levels of serine proteinase and proPO did not change significantly. In a time-course experiment, injection of LPS caused significant depression in mRNA levels of PEN2, PEN3, PEN4 and crustin at 4 h post-injection, and the depressed mRNA levels returned to initial levels by 72 h post-injection. On the other hand, mRNA levels of serine proteinase and proPO did not show a significant change after injection. These results suggest that the antimicrobial peptide system responds to LPS injection at a gene expression level while the proPO system does not respond at a gene expression level.