Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV)-CP-RNA-2 DNA vaccine confers protective immunity in giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii against MrNV infection.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii Nodavirus (MrNV) causes white tail disease (WTD) in Giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii which leads to immense economic losses in hatcheries and farms. In the present study, we cloned the capsid protein gene of MrNV-CP-RNA-2 (1146 bp) into a DNA vaccine vector pVAX1 to form MrNV-CP-RNA-2- pVAX1. The bacterial transformant, containing the MrNV-CP gene, was coated on the fish diet pellets and fed to juvenile M. rosenbergii for 40 days. After the vaccine delivery, group of M. rosenbergii were challenged with virulent MrNV on 20 and 40 days post-vaccination (dpv) respectively and monitored for the survival. The non-vaccinated M. rosenbergii succumbed to death (100%) within 5 days, whereas the MrNV-CP-RNA-2- pVAX1 treated groups had the survivals of 60 and 80% in 20 and 40 dpv respectively (P ≤ 0.001). To study the MrNV infection level, double step PCR was performed at different dpv. The results revealed that in 20 dpv group, the infection was decreased to 65% and in 40 dpv group the infection decreased to 69% from control diet fed prawns (P < 0.001). Haematological parameters like coagulation time, total haemocyte count (THC) and oxyhaemocyanin levels were performed for the control and vaccinated prawns. The vaccination helped to decrease the time of coagulation, improved THC and oxyhaemocyanin levels at a significant level (p < 0.001) when compared to the non-vaccinated group. The immunological parameters like prophenol oxidase (ProPO), superoxide anion and intra-agar lysozyme activity were also performed and the results revealed that the level of proPO, superoxide anion and lysozyme activities were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased in 20 and 40 dpv groups respectively, when compared with the non-vaccinated groups. Based on the vaccination trials, the DNA vaccine construct MrNV-CP-RNA-2-pVAX1 effectively improved the survival against MrNV challenge, helped to decrease viral load and enhanced the immune system to protect the prawn from MrNV infection. This vaccine construct is highly useful to protect the M. rosenbergii from MrNV infection.