Identification and functional characterization of a C-type lectin gene from Litopenaeus vannamei that is associated with ER-stress response

Abstract C-type lectins (CTLs), which bind carbohydrates in a Ca2+-dependent manner, are involved in many cellular activities, especially immunity. CTLs play important roles in both the antibacterial and the antiviral immune response and are also associated with autoimmunity. Several CTLs have been investigated in crustaceans, primarily with respect to their function in the immune response. In this study, we cloned a novel CTL gene (LvCTLU) from Litopenaeus vannamei. LvCTLU is involved in microbe agglutination and phagocytosis. Downregulating LvCTLU increased the cumulative mortality of L. vannamei after Vibrio parahemolyticus infection. Similar to other reported CTLs, LvCTLU also had antiviral properties. Downregulation of LvCTLU also increased the cumulative mortality of L. vannamei after infection with white spot syndrome virus. More importantly, LvCTLU expression was induced by the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is the key pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress response of eukaryotic organism. Our results suggested that this protein might be involved in the shrimp ER-stress response. Reporter gene assay indicated that LvCTLU was regulated by X-box-binding protein 1, which is the key transcription factor in the UPR. Our study thus revealed that LvCTLU plays vital roles in both the anti-pathogen immune response and the ER-stress response.