Gene Structure, Expression and Function Analysis of MEF2 in the Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei .

The Pacific white shrimp is the most economically important crustacean in the world. The growth and development of shrimp muscle has always been the focus of attention. Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2), a member of MADS transcription factor, has an essential influence on various growth and development programs, including myogenesis. In this study, based on the genome and transcriptome data of . , the gene structure and expression profiles of were characterized. We found that the was widely expressed in various tissues, mainly in the Oka organ, brain, intestine, heart, and muscle. Moreover, has a large number of splice variants, and the main forms are the mutually exclusive exon and alternative 5' splice site. The expression profiles of the splice variants varied under different conditions. Interestingly, some splice variants have tissue or developmental expression specificity. After RNA interference into , the increment in the body length and weight decreased significantly and even caused death, suggesting that can affect the growth and survival of . Transcriptome analysis showed that after was knocked down, the protein synthesis and immune-related pathways were affected, and the associated muscle protein synthesis decreased, indicating that affected muscle formation and the immune system. The results provide an important basis for future studies of the gene and the mechanism of muscle growth and development in shrimp.