Epizootic shell disease induces systemic transcriptomic shifts in <i>Homarus americanus</i>, characterized by increased shell degradation and impaired energy metabolism across tissues.

ABSTRACT: Epizootic shell disease (ESD) is characterized by shell erosion, pitting, and melanization in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) and is associated with a polymicrobial infection. The disease is multifactorial, with several contributing factors such as rising water temperatures and environmental pollution, which may facilitate bacterial invasion and increase host susceptibility. In a previous study, we found that the microbiome composition of the carapace in lobsters with ESD differed from that of healthy individuals, with ESD-associated bacteria enriched in the green gland and testis. However, the effects of bacterial infection on internal organs have not been clearly identified. In this study, we investigated the effects of ESD on four major tissues of the lobster (testis, i

SUBMITTER: Kim M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12355661 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature