| Summary: | The white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the causative agent of white spot disease, which kills shrimp within a few days of infection. Although WSSV has a mortality rate of almost 100% and poses a serious threat to the shrimp farming industry, strategies for its prevention and treatment are extremely limited. In this study, we examined the efficacy of VP28, a recombinant WSSV protein expressed in <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> (<i>C. vulgaris</i>), as an oral shrimp vaccine. When compared with the control group, in which WSSV had a cumulative mortality of 100%, shrimp treated with 5% VP28-expressing <i>C. vulgaris</i> in their feed only had a 20% cumulative mortality rate 12 days after the WSSV challenge. When compared with the nonvaccinated group, the transcription of anti-lipopolysaccharide factor, C-type lectin, and prophenoloxidase genes, which are involved in shrimp defense against WSSV infection, was upregulated 29.6 fold, 15.4 fold, and 11.5 fold, respectively. These findings highlight <i>C</i>. <i>vulgaris</i> as a potential host for industrial shrimp vaccine production.
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