Antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties of heme oxygenase-1 in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which is significantly induced in response to oxidative stress, plays a crucial role in mitigating oxidative damage. However, the function of HO-1 in crayfish remains unknown. In this study, HO-1 in Procambarus clarkii (PcHO-1) was identified, and its functional domain was conserved across different species based on sequence alignment and structural prediction. Through RT-qPCR analysis, PcHO-1 showed the highest expression level in the hepatopancreas. Under the stimulation of Aeromonas hydrophila or glufosinate ammonium (GLA), the crayfish showed oxidative stress damage, whereas the expression levels of PcHO-1 were increased. Knocking down of PcHO-1 with RNA interference significantly reduced the antioxidant capacity of crayfish compared to the control group under A. hydrophila or GLA stimulation. Furthermore, the expression level of PcHO-1 increased after induction with CoPPIX, which increased the antioxidant level of crayfish and reduced the apoptosis. These findings indicated that PcHO-1 manifests the antioxidant and anti-apoptotic capacity, thereby aiding in the repairing of damage caused by A. hydrophila or GLA in P. clarkii.