Understanding the Relationship Between Rhizocephalans and Their Hosts From the Lens of Omics: Implications Towards Crustacean Aquaculture

Abstract

The continuous development of high‐throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionised the field of food production and agriculture, including aquaculture. In addition to fish, crustaceans play a crucial role in supporting coastal economies and serve as a valuable source of high‐quality protein worldwide. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of diseases, especially in commercially valuable crustaceans, are of paramount importance. Among the various parasites affecting crustaceans, rhizocephalan parasites have recently gained widespread attention due to their severe effects on hosts, including moult inhibition, parasitic castration and feminisation, reduction in metabolism and survival, and behavioural changes. This review employs a systematic literature review approach to summarise progress in omics research regarding host‐rhizocephalan interactions. The final dataset comprised 12 articles from four rhizocephalan families (Thompsoniidae, Sacculinidae, Polyascidae, and Peltogasterellidae). The review further discusses advances in omics research across five main functional categories: growth and moulting, metabolism, sex differentiation and reproduction, immunity and disease, and population genetics and evolution. Differentially expressed genes, proteins, metabolites, and pathways identified in rhizocephalan‐related omics studies serve as a valuable molecular database to understand host responses and rhizocephalan infection strategies. Key factors, including juvenile hormone esterase ( JHE ), thioredoxin, Kazal‐type protease inhibitor ( KPI ), heat shock proteins ( HSP70/HSP90 ), and cathepsins , are multi‐functionally involved in host‐rhizocephalan interactions. However, knowledge gaps persist, hindered by limitations in diagnostic tools and data integration. Future directions, such as single‐cell sequencing (scRNA‐seq), multi‐omics approaches, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks, offer promise for advancing our understanding of host–parasite dynamics, providing insights for rhizocephalan parasitology control in sustainable crustacean aquaculture health.

Bibliographic Information