SQSTM1/p62 knockdown induces transcriptomic changes and hepatopancreatic structural alterations in Litopenaeus vannamei.

Abstract

SQSTM1/p62 is a multifunctional adaptor protein involved in selective autophagy, oxidative stress regulation and innate immune signaling. However, its role in crustaceans in the absence of an experimental pathogen challenge remains largely unclear. In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to investigate the transcriptional consequences of Lv-p62 knockdown in the hepatopancreas of Litopenaeus vannamei. Transcriptomic analysis identified a total of 987 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). GO enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly associated with defense response to bacterium, innate immune response, and catalytic activity, suggesting that Lv-p62 may be transcriptionally linked to immune- and stress-related regulation. KEGG enrichment analysis identified significant enrichment of phagosome, ECM-receptor interaction, and cytoskeleton in muscle cells after FDR correction. These results suggest transcriptional alterations related to intracellular vesicle processing, extracellular matrix interactions, and cellular structural organization, indicating that Lv-p62 knockdown affects the expression of genes involved in immune-related clearance, autophagy-lysosome function, and metabolic pathways. The results of qRT-PCR of selected genes showed directional concordance with the transcriptomic data. Histopathological observation and TUNEL staining showed that Lv-p62 knockdown was associated with hepatopancreatic structural damage and increased TUNEL-positive signals. Collectively, these results suggest that Lv-p62 is associated with the transcriptional changes of immune- and redox-related genes, and that its knockdown is accompanied by histopathological structural alterations and increased TUNEL-positive signals in the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei.