A Pacifastacus leniusculus serine protease interacts with WSSV.

Area of Science:

• Aquatic immunology
• Virology
• Protease biochemistry

Background:

• Serine proteases play vital roles in physiological processes, including viral spread and replication.
• White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) is a significant pathogen affecting crustaceans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize a novel serine protease in crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) hemocytes.
• To investigate the role of this protease in WSSV infection.

Main Methods:

• Identification and characterization of a new clip-domain serine protease (PlcSP).
• Analysis of PlcSP's interaction with WSSV envelope protein VP28.
• Tissue distribution and expression analysis of PlcSP upon WSSV challenge.
• In vitro knockdown experiments to assess PlcSP's role in WSSV infection.

Main Results:

• A new serine protease, PlcSP, with a conserved catalytic domain and signal peptide was identified in P. leniusculus hemocytes.
• PlcSP expression increased in hemocytes following WSSV challenge.
• In vitro knockdown of PlcSP reduced VP28 expression and WSSV copy number in hematopoietic stem (HPT) cells.

Conclusions:

• The novel serine protease PlcSP is primarily located in crayfish hemocytes.
• PlcSP is important for WSSV infection, likely by facilitating viral entry into hematopoietic cells.