Immune responses and survival of Ruditapes philippinarum under salinity stress and Vibrio anguillarum challenge

Salinity is one of the important factors affecting the immune function of aquatic animals, and Vibrio anguillarum is one of the most important pathogens in aquaculture industry. In this study, we investigated the physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of Ruditapes philippinarum to salinity and V. anguillarum stress through different salinity combined with V. anguillarum challenge treatments. The results showed that ATP-binding cassette transporter A2 ( ABCA2 ) gene, lysosomal integral membrane protein-2 ( LIMP ) gene, and mannose-6-phosphate receptors ( MPR ) gene were mainly involved in immune responses in gill tissues, whereas prosaposin ( PSAP ) gene was mainly involved in immune responses in hepatopancreatic tissues. It was also found that a short period of salinity (24–48 h) could enhance the immune response of clams. This study provides a reference for the immune regulation mechanism of bivalves under salinity and V. anguillarum stress.