Gene expression of ferritin in tissue of the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei after exposure to pH stress

Ferritin is a storage protein that plays a key role in iron metabolism. In this study, the gene expression of ferritin in hepatopancreas, muscle and eye of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR after exposure to pH stress. The results showed the expression level in the hepatopancreas and eye were about 5 times to those of beta-actin, whereas lower expression levels in muscle were about 1/2 to those of beta actin. The gene expressions of ferritin in hepatopancreas and muscle were up regulated at 1.5 h after exposure to pH stress, but down-regulated in eye slightly. The ferritin transcript in hepatopancreas of white shrimp L. vannamei at pH 9.3 and pH 5.6 treatments increased significantly in 1.5 h and 12 h post-challenge respectively, but both returned to the original values in 24h post-challenge. The present result showed that ferritin expression in tissue of L.vannamei was induced by acute pH stress and ferritin induction varied in response to duration of induction and acidic or alkaline pH treatment, and was more sensitive to high pH than low pH.