Transcriptome analysis uncovers the expression of genes associated with growth in the gills and muscles of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with different growth rates

Litopenaeus vannamei is a crucial species in aquaculture. The gene expression patterns associated with distinct growth rates are not well understood. To investigate this, we used RNA-seq to study the underlying growth mechanism of L. vannamei with varying growth rates. Individuals of higher growth performance (HG), middle growth performance (MG), and lower growth performance (LG) were examined. A total of 8422 and 4560 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in gill and muscle samples, respectively. Genes related to growth were significantly up-regulated in HG gills, such as cuticle protein, chitin synthase, pupal cuticle protein, titin myosin G heavy chain, and myosin heavy chain 10. The GO enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs of HG gills were significantly enriched in “structural constituent of cuticle”, “primary metabolic process” and “chitin binding”. The growth-related genes were highly expressed in HG muscle, such as myosin heavy chain, myosin heavy chain type A and myosin 3. The GO enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs of HG muscle were significantly enriched in “myosin filament”, “myosin complex” and “myofibril”. These findings provide insights into mechanisms underlying the growth performance of superior L. vannamei, and identify candidate genes for genetic improvement programs aimed at enhancing this trait.