Metagenomic Study on the Influence of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) Infection on the Gut Microbiota in Penaeus vannamei

Abstract

Background: Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), infects P.vannamei and causes hepatopancreatic microsporidiasis associated with severe growth retardation in shrimp culture. The influence of EHP in the shrimp gut microbiota is poorly studied, and this would be an interesting area to investigate. In this study, metagenomic approach was followed to compare the overall species richness of the gut microbiota in healthy and EHP-infected P.vannamei. Methods: Bacterial genomic DNA from gut samples of EHP-infected and healthy shrimps were profiled for the 16S rRNA gene, targeting the V3-V4 conserved region. Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), were identified and clustered together with a cutoff of 97% identity using UCLUST. The OTUs were then used for the computation of alpha diversity and beta diversity for each sample. Result: Gut samples from EHP-infected shrimp showed lower bacterial abundance throughout the family, class, order, and genus levels. This research also highlights that EHP not only affects the hepatopancreas of the shrimp, but it also has the ability to affect the shrimp gut, predisposing them to other opportunistic infections.