Antiviral defense in shrimp: From innate immunity to viral infection

- Knowledge of shrimp antiviral immunity has made important progress.
- We review interactions between shrimp hosts and viral pathogens.
- Shrimp antiviral immunity involves immune signaling pathways, RNAi, phagocytosis, and apoptosis.
- We analyze mechanism of viral infection in shrimp hosts.

The culture of penaeid shrimp is rapidly developing as a major business endeavor worldwide. However, viral diseases have caused huge economic loss in penaeid shrimp culture industries. Knowledge of shrimp innate immunity and antiviral responses has made important progress in recent years, allowing the design of better strategies for the prevention and control of shrimp diseases. In this study, we have updated information on shrimp antiviral immunity and interactions between shrimp hosts and viral pathogens. Current knowledge and recent progress in immune signaling pathways (e.g., Toll/IMD-NF-κB and JAK-STAT signaling pathways), RNAi, phagocytosis, and apoptosis in shrimp antiviral immunity are discussed. The mechanism of viral infection in shrimp hosts and the interactions between viruses and shrimp innate immune systems are also analyzed.