Hepatopancreatic transcriptome response of Penaeus vannamei to dietary ulvan

The study aimed to determine the effect of feeding dietary ulvan on some genes and pathways of Penaeus vannamei juveniles. Feeding a diet containing ulvan at 1.0 g·kg-1 resulted in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the treatments and the control group. Ulvan resulted in 53 DEGs with 26 up and 27-down-regulated DEGs. The DEGs were immune-related, while several affected the energy and substrate metabolic pathways. Specific genes upregulated were Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) of the glycerolipid synthesis, centrosomal protein 120 involved in cell cycling and other activities, RNA helicase, an enzyme involved in opening up DNA molecules, ATP-binding cassette, TATA-binding protein, taurine transporter, transcriptional enhancer factor (TEF), C-type lectin among others. Down-regulated genes included gamma-crystallin, which acts as molecular chaperones; catenin alpha, which is involved in adhesion complex; dystrophin, which is involved in scaffolding for several signaling molecules; and maintenance muscle integrity, among others. Top DEGs that affected significantly important pathways include TEAD (transcriptional enhancer factor domain), GSK3B (glycogen synthase Kinase 3 beta), SLC6A1 (i.e., solute carrier Family 6 Member 1), and ADCY2, which affected signal transduction, environmental adaptation as well as the endocrine, immune, nervous, and digestive systems. In conclusion, dietary ulvan resulted in the up-regulation of immune-related DEGs, which could probably be used to adapt to unfavorable conditions and also affected some energy and substrate metabolic pathways that could potentially be used to direct the overall metabolism.