Transcriptomic, histological and biochemical analyses of Macrobrachium nipponense response to acute heat stress

Abstract

Temperature is an essential factor affecting the viability of crustaceans, and high temperature can cause damage or even death. The oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense, is an important economic aquaculture species in China, Japan, and Vietnam. To identify the transcriptomic, histological, and biochemical response of M. nipponense and reveal their adaptation mechanisms, the prawns were placed at 25 ℃, 30 ℃, and 35 ℃ for 24 h. The histological damages in the gills and hepatopancreas of M. nipponense were found under acute heat stress. Additionally, acute heat stress enhanced the digestive, metabolic, and antioxidative capacity of M. nipponense by biochemical analysis. The total RNA of hepatopancreas and gills were isolated and sequenced using the RNA-Seq method. After filtration, assembly, and aggregation, a total of 131690 unigenes were identified. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly involved in the regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II, proteolysis, nucleus, cytoplasm, nucleus, and ATP binding. In the hepatopancreas, several pathways were significantly enriched in the treatment groups, including neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, thyroid hormone synthesis, and ECM-receptor interaction. And in the gills, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, ribosome, and calcium signaling pathway, were enriched. The transcriptomic analysis provided insights into the thermoregulation and molecular mechanisms of M. nipponense in response to acute heat stress.