Characterization of a novel immune deficiency gene of Macrobrachium rosenbergii reveals antibacterial and antiviral defenses

Abstract Objective We sought to identify and characterize an immune deficiency (IMD) homolog from the giant freshwater prawn (also known as the giant river prawn) Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The IMD is a death-domain-containing protein that plays a crucial role as an adaptor protein in the IMD pathway—one of the most important response mechanisms to viral and bacterial invasion of invertebrates. Methods An IMD homolog gene from M. rosenbergii (MrIMD) was isolated using rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends. The tissue distribution and response to immune challenge of MrIMD were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to understand the regulatory mechanism of MrIMD messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in M. rosenbergii. Result The open reading frame of MrIMD comprised 555 nucleotides encoding a protein consisting of 184 amino acids, with a conserved death domain at the C-terminus. The MrIMD protein demonstrated 53–74% similarity with IMDs from other crustaceans; the highest similarity was with the IMD from the oriental river prawn M. nipponense. Gene expression analysis revealed that MrIMD mRNA levels were highest in gill tissues. After Aeromonas hydrophila stimulation, MrIMD was significantly upregulated in the muscle, gills, and intestine, whereas there was no significant difference in the hemocytes and hepatopancreas. In the case of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus stimulation, MrIMD was dramatically upregulated in the muscle and hepatopancreas, whereas downregulation was observed in the gills. Conclusion These results suggest that the MrIMD gene may play different roles in response to gram-negative bacteria and viral infection and plays a crucial role in innate immunity as an important key molecule in the defense against bacterial and viral infections.