A double chitin catalytic domain-containing chitinase targeted by c-Jun is involved in immune responses in shrimp

Chitinases are a group of chitin-degrading enzymes widely distributed in organisms. Chitinases containing two chitin catalytic domains have been widely found in arthropods but their functions remain unclear. In this study, a member of these chitinases from Litopenaeus vannamei (dChi) was identified and functionally studied in the context of immunity. The promoter of dChi contained activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding sites and could be regulated by c-Jun. The recombinant dChi protein showed no bacteriostatic activity in vitro but knockdown of dChi in vivo increased the mortality of shrimp and the bacterial load in tissues after Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, suggesting that dChi could play a positive role in antibacterial responses. However, silencing of dChi expression significantly decreased the mortality of WSSV-infected shrimp and down-regulated the viral load in tissues, indicating that dChi could facilitate WSSV infection. We further demonstrated that dChi was involved in regulation of the bacterial phagocytosis of hemocytes and expression of a series of immune related transcription factors and antimicrobial peptides. These indicated that the roles of dChi in antibacterial responses and anti-WSSV responses in vivo could result from its regulatory effects on the immune system. Taken together, the current study suggests that double chitin catalytic domain-containing chitinases could be important players in immune regulation in crustaceans.