Responses of lipid metabolism and lipidomics in the hepatopancreas of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to microcystin-LR exposure

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a toxic substance that threatens the health of aquatic animals. Hepatopancreas is the target organ of MC-LR toxicity. In this study, we investigated the effects of MC-LR on hepatopancreas lipid metabolism and lipidomic responses in Litopenaeus vannamei. After MC-LR exposure for 72 h, the hepatopancreas showed obvious tissue damage, and the activities of several lipase isoenzymes were decreased. Furthermore, the relative gene expression levels of lipolysis (CPT1, AMPK alpha), lipogenesis (SREBP, FAS, ACC, 6PGD), and long-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation (ACDL, ACDVL, ACBP) were increased. MC-LR exposure also affected lipidomics homeostasis. Specifically, the levels of glycerophospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, lyso-phosphatidylcholine, lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylglycerol), sphingolipids (sphingomyelin and ceramides) and cholesteryl ester were increased, and those of phosphatidylinositol and triglyceride were decreased. The significantly altered lipid molecules were mainly associated with the pathways of lipid and fatty acid metabolism and autophagy. These results reveal that MC-LR exposure influences lipid metabolism and lipidomic homeostasis in the shrimp hepatopancreas.

Automated summary

In this study, the effects of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) on lipid metabolism and lipidomic responses in Litopenaeus vannamei hepatopancreas were investigated. The results showed that MC-LR exposure caused tissue damage and decreased the activities of several lipase isoenzymes in the hepatopancreas. Additionally, the relative gene expression levels of key genes involved in lipolysis, lipogenesis, and fatty acid beta-oxidation were increased. Lipidomic analysis revealed that MC-LR exposure resulted in increased levels of glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesteryl ester, while the levels of phosphatidylinositol and triglyceride were decreased. These findings provide important insights into the effects of MC-LR on lipid metabolism and lipidomic homeostasis in shrimp hepatopancreas.