Immunometabolic characteristics in liver of red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var.) following Edwardsiella tarda 1l-4 infection by multiomics analyses.

Abstract

Edwardsiella tarda, a facultative intracellular pathogen, can compromise the health of farmed fish. Nevertheless, the immunometabolic features of red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var.) after E. tarda 1l-4 infection remains largely understudied. In this investigation, severe tissue injury and aberrant glycogen storage were detected in liver of red crucian carps infected with E. tarda 1l-4, along with the dramatic decline of antioxidant defense. Multiomics approaches indicated that MAPK signaling pathway may assume a dominant role in immunometabolic regulation in red crucian carp. MAPK dysregulation may affect cell cycle and DNA replication, while also disrupting carbon metabolism, amino acid homeostasis and glycerophospholipid biosynthesis, with methylsuccinic acid (MSA) identified as pivotal metabolic indicator. This findings may deepen our understanding of E. tarda-induced immunometabolic responses in red crucian carps and provide practical references for edwardsiellosis management in aquaculture.