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Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Larval RNA Interference in the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum
Published on: October 13, 2014
Comparative transcriptome analysis of lethality in response to RNA interference of the oriental river prawn
Yuning Hu1, Yin Fu2, Shubo Jin3
1Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, PR China.
Abstract:
A previous study identified slow-tonic S2 tropomyosin and slow tropomyosin isoform as sex-related genes in Macrobrachium nipponense. Their functions were analyzed using RNA interference. However, more than half of the specimens died approximately 8-12 h after injection of the respective double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), and HE staining indicated that the heart and gills were the most likely tissues responsible for the resultant deaths. In the current study, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic study of the gills and hearts of M. nipponense to identify potential target genes associated with acute death after dsRNA injection. A total of 68,772 annotated unigenes were generated. In the heart, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly enriched in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation, while the most relevant pathways in the gills were lysosome, phagosome, and peroxisome. Ten DEGs were screened out and analyzed under lethal hypoxic stress. Among these, fructose 1, 6-biphosphate-aldolase (FBA), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GDPDH), alcohol dehydrogenase class-3 (ADC3), ATP-synthase subunit 9 (ATPS9), and acid ceramidase-like (ACL) were all differentially expressed under hypoxic conditions. This study shed light on the lethal mechanism caused by interference with tropomyosin genes in M. nipponense, and identifies the related pathways and key genes that could help to improve stress resistance and tolerance in M. nipponense.
Insights
Investigating deaths in Macrobrachium nipponense after RNA interference revealed key genes in heart and gill tissues. This research identifies pathways linked to stress and mortality, aiding in improving shrimp resilience.
Area of Science:
- Aquatic biology
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Previous studies identified sex-related tropomyosin genes in Macrobrachium nipponense.
- RNA interference (RNAi) experiments led to significant mortality, with heart and gills affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify target genes and pathways involved in acute death following dsRNA injection in M. nipponense.
- To understand the lethal mechanisms associated with tropomyosin gene interference.
Main Methods:
- Comparative transcriptomic analysis of gills and hearts from M. nipponense after dsRNA injection.
- Identification and analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under lethal hypoxic stress.
Main Results:
- Transcriptomic analysis generated 68,772 annotated unigenes.
- Heart DEGs were enriched in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways.
- Gill DEGs were primarily associated with lysosome, phagosome, and peroxisome pathways.
- Five key genes (FBA, GDPDH, ADC3, ATPS9, ACL) showed differential expression under hypoxia.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the lethal mechanism of tropomyosin gene interference in M. nipponense.
- Identified key genes and pathways can inform strategies to enhance stress resistance and tolerance in shrimp.
