Temporal changes in the transcriptome profile of in response to decapod iridescent virus 1 infection.

The farming of faces significant challenges due to infections caused by Decapod iridovirus 1 (DIV1). To gain deeper insights into the dynamic immune regulatory processes of in response to DIV1 infection, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to profile the transcriptome in the hepatopancreas at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours post-infection (hpi). Time-course analysis revealed 3,339 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which exhibited distinct expression patterns across various stages of infection. At 24 hpi and 48 hpi, the top 20 enriched pathways included 3 immunity-related pathways (Lysosome, Phagosome, C-type lectin receptor signaling) and 7 metabolism-related pathways at 24 hpi, and 5 metabolism-related pathways at 48 hpi. In contrast, in the later stages of infection (72 hpi), 13 of the top 17 enriched pathways associated with DEGs were metabolism-related, including those involved in antioxidant defense, such as the Peroxisome, Cysteine and methionine metabolism, and Glutathione metabolism. At 96 hpi, pathways related to ECM-receptor interaction, Purine metabolism, and Lysosome were significantly enriched. Among the DEGs, a total of 16 genes were consistently identified across all time points, with 14 of these genes, including , , , , , , , and , demonstrating sustained upregulation at all time points. In contrast, the gene encoding rhodanese domain-containing protein CG4456-like was consistantly downregulated. Additionally, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) indicated several hub genes that were tightly connected to intercellular communication, such as and , and . The gene expression changes varied over time, exhibiting a dynamic, time-dependent pattern that underscores the complexity of host-pathogen interactions. These results provide new insights into the cellular mechanisms influenced by DIV1 throughout the infection process, offering valuable knowledge for developing virus control strategies in shrimp aquaculture.