Apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP) participates in the regulation of apoptosis in Litopenaeus vannamei under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress

• Published in: Aquaculture reports 2024-12, Vol.39, p.102413, Article 102413
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xiaoxun, Zhuo, Hongbiao, Lin, Lanting, Zhang, Yuan, Li, Jinyan, Fu, Shuo, Wu, Guangbo, Guo, Chaoan, Liu, Jianyong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonia-N stress; Apoptosis; ASPP; Litopenaeus vannamei; Nitrite-N stress
• ISSN: 2352-5134; 2352-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aqrep.2024.102413

Apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP) is a key regulatory factor closely related to p53 in apoptosis pathway. To further investigate the molecular mechanisms of ASPP in Litopenaeus vannamei, the expression of LvASPP mRNA under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress was explored, and the effects of knocking out LvASPP on mortality, histological damage, and the apoptosis pathway in L. vannamei under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress were investigated. Healthy L. vannamei (7.78 ± 0.70 g) were used in this study. After shrimp were stressed with an ammonia-N concentration of 30.00 mg/L for 48 h, qRT-PCR was used to detect a significant increase in LvASPP mRNA expression in the hepatopancreas, gills, and muscle. Following 48 h of nitrite-N stress at a concentration of 60.00 mg/L, LvASPP mRNA expression was significantly increased in the hepatopancreas. The survival rate notably increased under 80 h of ammonia-N stress (25.00 mg/L) after LvASPP RNA interference (30 % more than the control group), and the number of shrimp deaths decreased after 48 h of nitrite-N stress. Moreover, under the stress of ammonia-N and nitrite-N respectively, LvASPP silencing reduced the expression of p53, and led to a decrease in the expression of apoptosis-related genes (Bax, Apaf-1, Caspase 9, MDM2). Caspase 3 activity, TUNEL-positive cells and the apoptotic index in the hepatopancreas markedly reduced under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress. The potential pathway suggests that inhibiting LvASPP reduces the mRNA expression of p53, which leads to a decrease in Caspase 3 activity, inhibiting apoptosis in the hepatopancreatic cells of L. vannamei under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress. These data indicate that the knockdown of LvASPP positively impacted the tolerance of L. vannamei to ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress by regulating the apoptosis pathway. This suggests that employing gene-targeted dsRNA could be an effective strategy for alleviating the environmental pressures faced by shrimp in aquaculture management. •Exposure to ammonia-N and nitrite-N changed the expression of LvASPP in Litopenaeus vannamei.•Knockdown of LvASPP exacerbated the hepatopancreas pathology in shrimp under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress.•LvASPP might participate in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.•Silencing of LvASPP might inhibit apoptosis under ammonia-N and nitrite-N stress.