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¹ Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
² Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory, International College, International Degree Program of Ornamental Fish Technology and Aquatic Animal Health, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan DOI : 10.4194/GA891 Viewed : 164 - Downloaded : 78 Litopenaeus vannamei (Whiteleg shrimp) is a crucial crustacean species in global aquaculture, but infectious disease outbreaks, particularly from pathogens like Vibrio harveyi, threaten its sustainable growth. Understanding shrimp-pathogen interactions, particularly through Toll-like receptors (TLRs), is essential for improving disease resistance. This study identifies and characterizes TLR6 and TLR13 in Whiteleg shrimp through genome-wide analysis. Using bioinformatics tools, we analyzed their physiological properties, domain structures, multiple sequence alignments, phylogeny, and 3D models. Noticeably, TLR6 and TLR13 contain open reading frames (ORF) encoding 1349 and 1092 amino acids, respectively, with typical leucine-rich repeats, transmembrane, and toll-interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains. Multiple sequence alignment indicated the conservation of sequence in the leucine-rich repeat domain. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TLR6 and TLR13 are closely related to Penaeus japonicus and Penaeus monodon. Quantitative PCR (q-PCR) revealed TLR6 had higher expression in hemocytes and heart, while TLR13 was most expressed in the intestine. After Vibrio harveyi infection, TLR6 was upregulated in the gills, though TLR13 showed no significant change in the gills or hepatopancreas. These findings provide new insights into the immune function of whiteleg shrimp`s TLR6 and TLR13 against V. harveyi. Keywords : Aquaculture Whiteleg shrimp Vibrio harveyi Pathogen recognition receptors Toll-like receptors