Transcriptional upregulation of fortilin in shrimp, Penaeus (Metapenaeus) japonicus fed diets containing recombinant VP28, an antigenic protein of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is considered as one of the serious viral pathogens of shrimp. There are several preventive measures that have been developed to curb the devastating effects of this virus in shrimp aquaculture. Juvenile shrimps, Penaeus (Metapenaeus) japonicus were fed with commercial feeds that were mixed with recombinant VP28, a structural protein antigen of WSSV for a period of 14 days. The immune response of the shrimp during oral administration of the medicated feed was determined by expression analysis of fortilin, a gene that is involved in the antiviral response. There was a significant increase in the level of expression of fortilin both in the gut and the gills in the fed group during the duration of feeding. The level of expression gradually decreased in the fed group, whereby at the 7th and 14th day after the last day of feeding with medicated feeds, no significant differences were observed between the fed and control groups in the expression at the gills and gut, respectively.