Transcriptome analysis of Aeromonas hydrophila infected Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Abstract Ictalurus punctatus are introduced species and successfully farmed freshwater fish in China. With the intensive farming of Ictalurus punctatus and water quality deterioration, the bacterial diseases have become a great concern of the industry. Nonetheless, data pertaining to molecular immunological responses, which could elucidate critical genetic information pertinent to the control and prevention of Aeromonas hydrophila infections, remain deficient for the species Ictalurus punctatus. In this investigation, we conducted a comparative analysis of transcriptomic alterations within the hepatic, cephalic renal, and splenic tissues of Ictalurus punctatus following exposure to A. hydrophila and phosphate buffer solution (PBS) as a mock infection at the 24-hour post-infection mark. In total, 2043, 2145, 2708 genes were up-regulated and 1797, 1753, 2669 genes were down-regulated in the liver, head kidney and spleen, respectively. GO and KEGG analysis showed that many DEGs were significantly enriched in immune terms, including immune system, immune diseases, signal transduction. 10 DEGs were selected for qRT-PCR analysis to validate the RNA-seq data and confirmed the consistency of the expression levels.This investigation offers an enhanced comprehension of the gene expression profile and the dynamic immunological response of Ictalurus punctatus following infection with A. hydrophila. Such insights will contribute to future research endeavors aimed at developing preventative strategies for Ictalurus punctatus.