Characterization of four hemocyanin isoforms in Litopenaeus vannamei

In this study, the gene encoding hemocyanin subunit L, LvHcL , was cloned from Litopenaeus vannamei and the genomic organization was characterized. This gene was diverse with many SNPs and also had at least four isoforms, while one of them ( LvHcL4 ) only had two exons and the exon2 was missed. Transcription analysis showed that these isoforms of LvHcL were up-regulated after WSSV challenge in WSSV-resistant shrimp, while the transcriptions were decreased constantly in WSSV-susceptible shrimp. It is suggested that the hemocyanin had rich polymorphism and was involved in the antiviral response. These results could extend our previous findings and provide insights into the immune feature of hemocyanin, which would be helpful for further studies aimed at antiviral mechanism in invertebrate.