Transcriptional response in the whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) to short-term microplastic exposure

•Differentially expressed genes in Penaeus vannamei artificially exposed to microplastics were analyzed by RNA sequencing.•Opsin-related functions and arrestin-2 (β-arrestin-1) genes were upregulated upon exposure to microplastics.•Microplastic exposure suppressed the cardiac muscle development and promoted the stress and immune responses. The ingestion of microplastics by diverse marine organisms induces behavioral disorders, physiological changes, and immune and stress responses. The negative effects of microplastic exposure in penaeid shrimps are still unclear despite the annual increase in the consumption of these food sources by humans and in marine aquaculture. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential negative effects of microplastic exposure and gain a deeper understanding of its impacts on culturing penaeid shrimp. We generated RNA sequencing data from the whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) artificially exposed to microplastics and analyzed the differentially expressed genes. Based on transcriptional comparisons, exposure to microplastics induces cardiac muscle dysfunction and promotes stress and immune responses in whiteleg shrimp. Thus, we confirmed the negative impact of microplastic exposure in whiteleg shrimp. These results provide a foundation for studies on the biological effects of microplastic ingestion on aquaculture species and their potential impact on humans through their consumption of these important marine resources.