Quantitative expression profiling of immune response genes in rainbow trout following infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) infection or DNA vaccination

Oxidative stress, gene expression and histopathology of cultured gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) naturally co-infected with Ergasilus sieboldi and Vibrio alginolyticus

BACKGROUND

Parasitic and bacterial co-infections have been associated with increasing fish mortalities and severe economic losses in aquaculture through the past three decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress, histopathology, and immune gene expression profile of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) co-infected with Ergasilus sieboldi and Vibrio alginolyticus.

RESULTS

Vibrio alginolyticus and Ergasilus sieboldi were identified using 16 S rRNA and 28 S rRNA sequencing, respectively. The collagenase virulence gene was found in all Vibrio alginolyticus isolates, and the multiple antimicrobial resistance index ranged from 0.286 to 0.857. Oxidant-antioxidant parameters in the gills, skin, and muscles of naturally infected fish revealed increased lipid peroxidation levels and a decrease in catalase and glutathione antioxidant activities. Moreover, naturally co-infected gilthead sea bream exhibited substantial up-regulation of il-1β, tnf-α, and cyp1a1. Ergasilus sieboldi encircled gill lamellae with its second antennae, exhibited severe gill architectural deformation with extensive eosinophilic granular cell infiltration. Vibrio alginolyticus infection caused skin and muscle necrosis in gilthead sea bream.

CONCLUSION

This study described some details about the gill, skin and muscle tissue defense mechanisms of gilthead sea bream against Ergasilus sieboldi and Vibrio alginolyticus co-infections. The prevalence of co-infections was 100%, and no resistant fish were detected. These co-infections imbalance the health status of the fish by hampering the oxidant-antioxidant mechanisms and proinflammatory/inflammatory immune genes to a more detrimental side. Our results suggest that simultaneous screening for bacterial and parasitic pathogens should be considered.

Molecular cytogenetic analysis of the olive flounder embryonic cell line FGBC8 and its applicability to biotechnology

We explored the biotechnological applicability of a previously established olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) embryonic cell line (FGBC8). FGBC8 was transfected with pEGFP-c1 and pluripotency-related genes, then infected with viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), and the expression of immune-related genes was observed through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Transfected cells showed strong green fluorescence 48 h after transfection, and pluripotency-related genes were successfully transfected. In addition, FGBC8 cells were highly susceptible to VHSV and the expression of immune-related genes was induced during infection. Our results demonstrate that FGBC8 cells are valuable research tools for assessing host-pathogen interactions and biotechnological applications.

Nervous Necrosis Virus (NNV) Booster Vaccination Increases Senegalese Sole Survival and Enhances Immunoprotection

A re-immunization programme has been tested to improve the protective response elicited in sole by a previously developed BEI-inactivated betanodavirus vaccine. The vaccine was prepared using a reassortant RGNNV/SJNNV strain which is highly pathogenic for sole, and vaccination assays were performed by intraperitoneal injection. Experimental design included a prime- and a booster-vaccination group, which consisted of individuals that received a second vaccine injection at 30 days post vaccination), and their respective controls. A month after prime/booster vaccination, fish were challenged by intramuscular injection with the homologous NNV strain. Samples were collected at different times post vaccination and post challenge to assess the immune response and viral replication. Booster dose enhanced the protection against NNV infection because a significant increase in survival was recorded when compared with prime-vaccinated individuals (relative percent survival 77 vs. 55). In addition, a clear decrease in viral replication in the brain of challenged sole was observed. During the immune induction period, no differences in IgM production were observed between prime- and booster-vaccinated fish, and the expression of the antigen presenting cells (APC)-related molecule MHC class II antigen was the only differential stimulation recorded in the re-immunized individuals. However, a significant upregulation of mhcII and the lymphocytes T helper (Th) marker cd4 was observed after the challenge in the booster-vaccinated group, suggesting these cells play a role in the protection conferred by the booster injection. In addition, after viral infection, re-immunized fish showed specific and neutralizing antibody production and overexpression of other immune-related genes putatively involved in the control of NNV replication.

Specificity of DNA Vaccines against the Genogroup J and U Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus Strains Prevalent in China

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is the most important pathogen threatening the aquaculture of salmonid fish in China. In addition to the common genogroup J IHNV, genogroup U has been newly discovered in China. However, there is no effective DNA vaccine to fight against this emerging genogroup U IHNV in China. In this study, DNA vaccines encoding the IHNV viral glycoprotein (G) gene of the GS2014 (genogroup J) and BjLL (genogroup U) strains isolated from northern China were successfully developed, which were identified by restriction analysis and IFA. The expression of the Mx-1 gene and G gene in the spleens and muscles of the injection site as well as the titers of the serum antibodies were measured to evaluate the vaccine efficacy by RT-qPCR and ELISA. We found that DNA vaccine immunization could activate Mx1 gene expression and upregulate G gene expression, and the mRNA levels of the Mx1 gene in the muscles were significantly higher than those in the spleens. Notably, DNA vaccine immunization might not promote the serum antibody in fish at the early stage of immunization. Furthermore, the efficacy of the constructed vaccines was tested in intra- and cross-genogroup challenges by a viral challenge in vivo. It seemed that the DNA vaccines were able to provide great immune protection against IHNV infection. In addition, the genogroup J IHNV-G DNA vaccine showed better immune efficacy than the genogroup U IHNV-G or divalent vaccine, which could provide cross-immune protection against the genogroup U IHNV challenge. Therefore, this is the first study to construct an IHNV DNA vaccine using the G gene from an emerging genogroup U IHNV strain in China. The results provide great insight into the advances of new prophylactic strategies to fight both the genogroup J and U IHNV in China.

Protective immunity against spring viremia of carp virus by mannose modified chitosan loaded DNA vaccine

Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) usually be considered as one of the serious in viral diseases of aquaculture, and DNA vaccine with novel delivery mechanism or adjuvant has proven to be a promising and effective strategy to control aquatic animal diseases. In this study, the mannose-modified chitosan, a carrier system for vaccine delivery, were used to developed a chitosan-encapsulated DNA vaccine (CS-M-G) against SVCV, then investigated immune response induced by the vaccine. Our results showed that CS-M-G was confirmed the spherical or elliptical with even distribution and ranging from approximately 50 to 150 nm in size, the expression of the antigen gene could still be detected after 21 d post vaccination. The CS-M-G induces the highest antibody levels in the 20 μg dose group which is about 3 times than naked plasmid group at 21 d post vaccination, and still hold a higher level than control group at 28 d post vaccination. On the side, strongest protection with relative percent survival of 62.1% in the 20 μg CS-M-G group, which could produce significantly higher enzyme activities and up-regulated expression of immune-associated genes than control group. Thus, our results indicate that DNA vaccine loaded with mannose-modified chitosan induces strong immune response and provided an effective protection against SVCV infection, may be helpful and extended for developing more aquatic animal vaccines in the future.

Multi-tissue RNAseq reveals genetic and temporal differences in acute response to viral (IHNV) infection among three selected lines of rainbow trout with varying resistance

Utilizing RNA-seq, this study compared the transcriptomic responses of three improved strains (VSel, PSel, and CSel) of rainbow trout fry during acute stages of challenge with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). The VSel strain has been selected for resistance against the specific strain of IHNV used in our challenge, PSel has undergone selection for utilization of plant-protein based feeds and previously has shown elevated non-specific disease resistance despite no disease related selection pressures, and the final strain, CSel, is a commercial strain that has been domesticated for several years but has not been selected for specific viral disease resistance. Following a 21-day IHNV challenge, Kaplan-Meier survival estimator curves and cumulative percent mortality (CPM) showed significant differences in IHNV resistance across strains: VSel - 19.3 ± 5.0%, PSel - 67. ± 3.03%, CSel - 94.6 ± 4.1% CPM. To evaluate acute responses to IHNV infection, whole blood, as well as samples from the kidney, liver, and intestine, were collected at 0, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h post infection (hpi). Serum lysozyme activity, a marker of non-specific innate immunity, showed strain and temporal effects during the acute infection phase with PSel showing the highest activity at 0 and 48 hpi. Differential gene expression responses were detected, with varying degrees, in all tissues, both between strains, as well as across acute timepoints within strains. The VSel strain showed upregulation for a particular subset of viral recognition genes during early infection timepoints and rather limited upregulation of immune genes later, while maintaining and reactivating metabolic pathways. The CSel strain showed a downregulation of metabolic related genes and a limited upregulation of immune genes, while the PSel strain showed similar downregulation of metabolic genes during acute infection, yet when compared to the CSel strain, showed a more robust innate immune response. Evaluation of upregulated immune response genes, as well as interferon-related genes showed the PSel strain to have the greatest number of uniquely upregulated immune genes in both the kidney and intestine, with CSel and PSel showing a similar number of such genes upregulated in liver. A moderate number of immune response genes were shared between PSel and CSel in all tissues, though both PSel and VSel showed a high number of uniquely overexpressed immune response genes in the kidney, and PSel showed the highest number of uniquely upregulated interferon related genes in the intestine. Overall, the VSel response was unique from the CSel with very little overlap in activated immune responses. Findings from this study highlight the disparity in IHNV resistance among genetic strains of rainbow trout, while identifying molecular mechanisms underlying differences in disease phenotypes. Furthermore, our results on trout strains with distinct selection backgrounds yields comparative insights into the adaptive gains brought about by selection programs for pathogen-specific disease resistance, as well as the non-specific immune enhancement associated with selection for utilization of plant-based diets.

Differential virulence of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) isolated from salmonid fish in Gangwon Province, Korea

The present study investigated the virulence and expression of innate immunity genes in isolates of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) in Gangwon province, South Korea, by challenging rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, and coho salmon. Eight IHNV isolates were used to infect RTG-2 cells for viral replication using plaque assays. Three isolates with the highest replication rates, the RtPc0314g and RtPc0314c isolates of the JRt-Shizuoka type and the RtPc0816g isolate of the JRt-Nagano type, were experimentally infected into the fish. In rainbow trout, both RtPc0314c and RtPc0314g isolates showed 100% cumulative mortality while the RtPc0816g isolate showed 60% cumulative mortality for 14 days. In contrast, all three isolates showed <60% cumulative mortality in Atlantic salmon and coho salmon. The expression of G genes in the kidney was higher than that in the spleen-infected fish, with the highest expression observed in the kidneys of rainbow trout. The relative expression levels of innate immunity genes were higher in rainbow trout than in Atlantic salmon and coho salmon. The expression level of immunoglobulin M increased until day 7, and the expression of type I interferon was higher in the spleen than in other tissues. The expression of Mx-1 was higher in the kidney and liver than other tissues. These results indicate that IHNV isolates from Gangwon province show host-specific virulence in rainbow trout and that their virulence and replication were higher in JRt-Shizuoka type than in JRt-Nagano type isolates.

Innate antiviral defense demonstrates high energetic efficiency in a bony fish

Background

Viruses can impose energetic demands on organisms they infect, in part by hosts mounting resistance. Recognizing that oxygen uptake reliably indicates steady-state energy consumption in all vertebrates, we comprehensively evaluated oxygen uptake and select transcriptomic messaging in sockeye salmon challenged with either a virulent rhabdovirus (IHNV) or a low-virulent reovirus (PRV). We tested three hypotheses relating to the energetic costs of viral resistance and tolerance in this vertebrate system: (1) mounting resistance incurs a metabolic cost or limitation, (2) induction of the innate antiviral interferon system compromises homeostasis, and (3) antiviral defenses are weakened by acute stress.

Results

IHNV infections either produced mortality within 1–4 weeks or the survivors cleared infections within 1–9 weeks. Transcription of three interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was strongly correlated with IHNV load but not respiratory performance. Instead, early IHNV resistance was associated with a mean 19% (95% CI = 7–31%; p = 0.003) reduction in standard metabolic rate. The stress of exhaustive exercise did not increase IHNV transcript loads, but elevated host inflammatory transcriptional signaling up to sevenfold. For PRV, sockeye tolerated high-load systemic PRV blood infections. ISG transcription was transiently induced at peak PRV loads without associated morbidity, microscopic lesions, or major changes in aerobic or anaerobic respiratory performance, but some individuals with high-load blood infections experienced a transient, minor reduction in hemoglobin concentration and increased duration of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

Conclusions

Contrary to our first hypothesis, effective resistance against life-threatening rhabdovirus infections or tolerance to high-load reovirus infections incurred minimal metabolic costs to salmon. Even robust systemic activation of the interferon system did not levy an allostatic load sufficient to compromise host homeostasis or respiratory performance, rejecting our second hypothesis that this ancient innate vertebrate antiviral defense is itself energetically expensive. Lastly, an acute stress experienced during testing did not weaken host antiviral defenses sufficiently to promote viral replication; however, a possibility for disease intensification contingent upon underlying inflammation was indicated. These data cumulatively demonstrate that fundamental innate vertebrate defense strategies against potentially life-threatening viral exposure impose limited putative costs on concurrent aerobic or energetic demands of the organism.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01069-2.

Temperature Variation and Host Immunity Regulate Viral Persistence in a Salmonid Host

Environmental variation has important effects on host-pathogen interactions, affecting large-scale ecological processes such as the severity and frequency of epidemics. However, less is known about how the environment interacts with host immunity to modulate virus fitness within hosts. Here, we studied the interaction between host immune responses and water temperature on the long-term persistence of a model vertebrate virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) in steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We first used cell culture methods to factor out strong host immune responses, allowing us to test the effect of temperature on viral replication. We found that 15 ∘C water temperature accelerated IHNV replication compared to the colder 10 and 8 ∘C temperatures. We then conducted in vivo experiments to quantify the effect of 6, 10, and 15 ∘C water temperatures on IHNV persistence over 8 months. Fish held at 15 and 10 ∘C were found to have higher prevalence of neutralizing antibodies compared to fish held at 6 ∘C. We found that IHNV persisted for a shorter time at warmer temperatures and resulted in an overall lower fish mortality compared to colder temperatures. These results support the hypothesis that temperature and host immune responses interact to modulate virus persistence within hosts. When immune responses were minimized (i.e., in vitro) virus replication was higher at warmer temperatures. However, with a full potential for host immune responses (i.e., in vivo experiments) longer virus persistence and higher long-term virulence was favored in colder temperatures. We also found that the viral RNA that persisted at later time points (179 and 270 days post-exposure) was mostly localized in the kidney and spleen tissues. These tissues are composed of hematopoietic cells that are favored targets of the virus. By partitioning the effect of temperature on host and pathogen responses, our results help to better understand environmental drivers of host-pathogen interactions within hosts, providing insights into potential host-pathogen responses to climate change.

Transcriptome profiling in head kidney of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) after infection with the low-virulent Nagano genotype of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) causes clinical diseases and mortality in a wide variety of salmonid species. Here, we studied transcriptional responses in rainbow trout infected by the IHNV-Nagano strain isolated in Korea. RNA-seq-based transcriptome analysis of head kidney tissues cataloged differentially expressed genes. Enrichment analysis of gene ontology annotations was performed, and a total of fifteen biological process terms were commonly identified at all time points. In the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) signaling pathways such as the retinoic-acid-inducible gene-I-like receptor signaling pathway and the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway were identified at all time points. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization-domain-like receptor signaling pathway and cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway were identified at days 1 and 3. Protein-protein interaction network and centrality analyses revealed that the immune system, signaling molecules, and interaction pathways were upregulated at days 1 and 3, with the highest centrality of tumor necrosis factor. Cancer, cellular community, and endocrine system pathways were downregulated, with the highest centrality of fibronectin 1 at day 5. STAT1 was upregulated from days 1 to 5 with a high centrality. The reproducibility and repeatability of the transcriptome analysis were validated by RT-qPCR. IHNV-Nagano infection dynamically changed the transcriptome profiles in the head kidney of rainbow trout and induced a defense mechanism by regulating the immune and inflammatory pathways through PRR signaling at an early stage. Downregulated pathways involved in extracellular matrix formation and focal adhesion at day 5 indicated the possible failure of wound healing, which is important in the pathogenesis of IHNV infection.

Naturally occurring substitution in one amino acid in VHSV phosphoprotein enhances viral virulence in flounder

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a rhabdovirus that causes high mortality in cultured flounder. Naturally occurring VHSV strains vary greatly in virulence. Until now, little has been known about genetic alterations that affect the virulence of VHSV in flounder. We recently reported the full-genome sequences of 18 VHSV strains. In this study, we determined the virulence of these 18 VHSV strains in flounder and then the assessed relationships between differences in the amino acid sequences of the 18 VHSV strains and their virulence to flounder. We identified one amino acid substitution in the phosphoprotein (P) (Pro55-to-Leu substitution in the P protein; P^P55L) that is specific to highly virulent strains. This P^P55L substitution was maintained stably after 30 cell passages. To investigate the effects of the P^P55L substitution on VHSV virulence in flounder, we generated a recombinant VHSV carrying P^P55L (rVHSV-P) from rVHSV carrying P55 in the P protein (rVHSV-wild). The rVHSV-P produced high level of viral RNA in cells and showed increased growth in cultured cells and virulence in flounder compared to the rVHSV-wild. In addition, rVHSV-P significantly inhibited the induction of the IFN1 gene in both cells and fish at 6 h post-infection. An RNA-seq analysis confirmed that rVHSV-P infection blocked the induction of several IFN-related genes in virus-infected cells at 6 h post-infection compared to rVHSV-wild. Ectopic expression of P^P55L protein resulted in a decrease in IFN induction and an increase in viral RNA synthesis in rVHSV-wild-infected cells. Taken together, our results are the first to identify that the P55L substitution in the P protein enhances VHSV virulence in flounder. The data from this study add to the knowledge of VHSV virulence in flounder and could benefit VHSV surveillance efforts and the generation of a VHSV vaccine.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a rhabdovirus that causes huge economic losses to the fish culture industry throughout the world. Virulence among naturally occurring VHSV strains varies widely. However, little is known about the viral factors that determine VHSV virulence. Here, we identify a naturally-occurring, single-amino-acid substitution in the VHSV P protein that enhances VHSV virulence in flounder. This amino acid substitution in the P protein was detected only in highly virulent VHSV strains, and it enhances viral RNA synthesis and inhibits the interferon response of host cells early after virus infection. Recombinant VHSV containing this amino acid substitution caused increased mortality in flounder compared with the wild type. This is the first study to identify a naturally occurring amino acid substitution in VHSV that determines its virulence in flounder. We expect that our result can be applied to other fish species, and this finding will provide new opportunities to generate an effective VHSV vaccine.

Immunogene expression analysis in betanodavirus infected-Senegalese sole using an OpenArray® platform

The transcriptomic response of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) triggered by two betanodaviruses with different virulence to that fish species has been assessed using an OpenArray® platform based on TaqMan™ quantitative PCR. The transcription of 112 genes per sample has been evaluated at two sampling times in two organs (head kidney and eye/brain-pooled samples). Those genes were involved in several roles or pathways, such as viral recognition, regulation of type I (IFN-1)-dependent immune responses, JAK-STAT cascade, interferon stimulated genes, protein ubiquitination, virus responsive genes, complement system, inflammatory response, other immune system effectors, regulation of T-cell proliferation, and proteolysis and apoptosis. The highly virulent isolate, wSs160.3, a wild type reassortant containing a RGNNV-type RNA1 and a SJNNV-type RNA2 segments, induced the expression of a higher number of genes in both tested organs than the moderately virulent strain, a recombinant harbouring mutations in the protruding domain of the capsid protein. The number of differentially expressed genes was higher 2 days after the infection with the wild type isolate than at 3 days post-inoculation. The wild type isolate also elicited an exacerbated interferon 1 response, which, instead of protecting sole against the infection, increases the disease severity by the induction of apoptosis and inflammation-derived immunopathology, although inflammation seems to be modulated by the complement system. Furthermore, results derived from this study suggest a potential important role for some genes with high expression after infection with the highly virulent virus, such as rtp3, sacs and isg15. On the other hand, the infection with the mutant does not induce immune response, probably due to an altered recognition by the host, which is supported by a different viral recognition pathway, involving myd88 and tbkbp1.

A Major QTL for Resistance to Vibrio anguillarum in Rainbow Trout

Genetic selection of disease resistant fish is a major strategy to improve health, welfare and sustainability in aquaculture. Mapping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the fish genome may be a fruitful tool to define relevant quantitative trait loci (QTL) and we here show its use for characterization of Vibrio anguillarum resistant rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fingerlings were exposed to the pathogen V. anguillarum serotype O1 in a solution of 1.5 × 10⁷ cfu/ml and observed for 14 days. Disease signs appeared 3 days post exposure (dpe) whereafter mortality progressed exponentially until 6 dpe reaching a total mortality of 55% within 11 days. DNA was sampled from all fish – including survivors – and analyzed on a 57 k Affymetrix SNP platform whereby it was shown that disease resistance was associated with a major QTL on chromosome 21 (Omy 21). Gene expression analyses showed that diseased fish activated genes associated with innate and adaptive immune responses. The possible genes associated with resistance are discussed.

RNA-seq transcriptome analysis in flounder cells to compare innate immune responses to low- and high-virulence viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a rhabdovirus that causes high mortality in cultured flounder. Viral growth and virulence rely on the ability to inhibit the cellular innate immune response. In this study, we investigated differences in the modulation of innate immune responses of HINAE flounder cells infected with low- and high-virulence VHSV strains at a multiplicity of infection of 1 for 12 h and 24 h and performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based transcriptome analysis. A total of 193 and 170 innate immune response genes were differentially expressed by the two VHSV strains at 12 and 24 h postinfection (hpi), respectively. Of these, 73 and 77 genes showed more than a twofold change in their expression at 12 and 24 hpi, respectively. Of the genes with more than twofold changes, 22 and 11 genes showed high-virulence VHSV specificity at 12 and 24 hpi, respectively. In particular, IL-16 levels were more than two time higher and CCL20a.3, CCR6b, CCL36.1, Casp8L2, CCR7, and Trim46 levels were more than two times lower in high-virulence-VHSV-infected cells than in low-virulence-VHSV-infected cells at both 12 and 24 hpi. Quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed the changes in expression of the ten mRNAs with the most significantly altered expression. This is the first study describing the genome-wide analysis of the innate immune response in VHSV-infected flounder cells, and we have identified innate immune response genes that are specific to a high-virulence VHSV strain. The data from this study can contribute to a greater understanding of the molecular basis of VHSV virulence in flounder.

Immune gene expression and genome-wide association analysis in rainbow trout with different resistance to Yersinia ruckeri infection

Selective breeding programmes involving marker assisted selection of innately pathogen resistant strains of rainbow trout rely on reliable controlled infection studies, extensive DNA typing of individual fish and recording of expression of relevant genes. We exposed juvenile rainbow trout (6 h bath to 2.6 × 10⁵ CFU mL^-1) to the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri serotype O1, biotype 2, eliciting Enteric Red Mouth Disease ERM, and followed the disease progression over 21 days. Cumulative mortality reached 42% at 12 days post challenge (dpc) after which no disease signs were recorded. All fish were sampled for DNA-typing (50 k SNP chip, Affymetrix®) throughout the course of infection when they showed clinical signs of disease (susceptible fish) or at day 21 when fish showed no clinical signs of disease (survivors - resistant fish). Genome-wide association analyses of 1027 trout applying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as markers revealed an association between traits (susceptible/resistant) and certain regions of the trout genome. It was indicated that multiple genes are involved in rainbow trout resistance towards ERM whereby it is considered a polygenic trait. A corresponding trout group was kept as non-exposed controls and a comparative expression analysis of central innate and adaptive immune genes in gills, spleen and liver was performed for three fish groups: 1) moribund trout exhibiting clinical signs 7 dpc (CS), 2) exposed fish without clinical signs at the same sampling point (NCS) and 3) surviving fish at 21 dpc (survivors). Immune genes encoding inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2A, IL-6A, IL-8, IL-10A, IL-12, IL-17A/F2A, IL-17C1, IL-17C2, IL-22, IFNγ, TNFα), acute phase reactants (SAA, C3, cathelicidins, lysozyme) were expressed differently in CS and NCS fish. Correlation (negative or positive) between expression of genes and bacterial load suggested involvement of immune genes in protection. Down-regulation of adaptive immune genes including IgDm, IgDs, IgT and TCR-β was seen primarily in CS and NCS fish whereas survivors showed up-regulation of effector molecule genes such as cathelicidins, complement and lysozyme suggesting their role in clearing the infection. In conclusion, SNP analyses indicated that ERM resistance in rainbow trout is a multi-locus trait. The gene expression in surviving fish suggested that several immune genes are associated with the trait conferring resistance.

Transcriptome analysis based on RNA-seq of common innate immune responses of flounder cells to IHNV, VHSV, and HIRRV

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and hirame rhabdovirus (HIRRV) belong to the genus Novirhabdovirus and are the causative agents of a serious disease in cultured flounder. However, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), a prototype of the genus Novirhabdovirus, does not cause disease in flounder. To determine whether IHNV growth is restricted in flounder cells, we compared the growth of IHNV with that of VHSV and HIRRV in hirame natural embryo (HINAE) cells infected with novirhabdoviruses at 1 multiplicity of infection. Unexpectedly, we found that IHNV grew as well as VHSV and HIRRV. For successful growth in host cells, viruses modulate innate immune responses exerted by virus-infected cells. Our results suggest that IHNV, like VHSV and HIRRV, has evolved the ability to overcome the innate immune response of flounder cells. To determine the innate immune response genes of virus-infected HINAE cells which are commonly modulated by the three novirhabdoviruses, we infected HINAE cells with novirhabdoviruses at multiplicity of infection (MOI) 1 and performed an RNA sequencing-based transcriptome analysis at 24 h post-infection. We discovered ~12,500 unigenes altered by novirhabdovirus infection and found that many of these were involved in multiple cellular pathways. After novirhabdovirus infection, 170 genes involved in the innate immune response were differentially expressed compared to uninfected cells. Among them, 9 genes changed expression by more than 2-fold and were commonly modulated by all three novirhabdoviruses. Interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8), C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CXCR1), Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter protein (TIRAP), cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 11, duplicate 5 (CXCL11.5), and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) were up-regulated, whereas C-C motif chemokine receptor 6a (CCR6a), interleukin-12a (IL12a), and Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1) were down-regulated. These genes have been reported to be involved in antiviral responses and, thus, their modulation may be critical for the growth of novirhabdovirus in flounder cells. This is the first report to identify innate immune response genes in flounder that are commonly modulated by IHNV, VHSV, and HIRRV. These data will provide new insights into how novirhabdoviruses survive the innate immune response of flounder cells.

The synergistic interaction of thermal stress coupled with overstocking strongly modulates the transcriptomic activity and immune capacity of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The objective of the present study is to identify and evaluate informative indicators for the welfare of rainbow trout exposed to (A) a water temperature of 27 °C and (B) a stocking density of 100 kg/m³ combined with a temperature of 27 °C. The spleen-somatic and condition index, haematocrit and the concentrations of haemoglobin, plasma cortisol and glucose revealed non-significant differences between the two stress groups and the reference group 8 days after the onset of the experiments. The transcript abundance of almost 1,500 genes was modulated at least twofold in in the spleen of rainbow trout exposed to a critical temperature alone or a critical temperature combined with crowding as compared to the reference fish. The number of differentially expressed genes was four times higher in trout that were simultaneously challenged with high temperature and crowding, compared to trout challenged with high temperature alone. Based on these sets of differentially expressed genes, we identified unique and common tissue- and stress type-specific pathways. Furthermore, our subsequent immunologic analyses revealed reduced bactericidal and inflammatory activity and a significantly altered blood-cell composition in challenged versus non-challenged rainbow trout. Altogether, our data demonstrate that heat and overstocking exert synergistic effects on the rainbow trout’s physiology, especially on the immune system.

Kinetics of transcriptional response against poly (I:C) and infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) in Atlantic salmon kidney (ASK) cell line

Vaccine adjuvants induce host innate immune responses improving long-lasting adaptive immunity against vaccine antigens. In vitro models can be used to compare these responses between adjuvants and the infection targeted by the vaccine. We utilized transcriptomic profiling of an Atlantic salmon cell line to compare innate immune responses against ISAV and an experimental viral vaccine adjuvant: poly (I:C). Induction of interferon and interferon induced genes were observed after both treatments, but often with different amplitude and kinetics. Using KEGG ortholog database and available software from Bioconductor we could specify a complete bioinformatic pipeline for analysis of transcriptomic data from Atlantic salmon, a feature not previously available. We have identified important differences in the transcriptional profile of Atlantic salmon cells exposed to viral infection and a viral vaccine adjuvant candidate, poly (I:C). This report increases our knowledge of viral host-pathogen interaction in salmon and to which extent these can be mimicked by adjuvant compounds.

Impact of Vaccination and Pathogen Exposure Dosage on Shedding Kinetics of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV) in Rainbow Trout

Vaccine efficacy in preventing clinical disease has been well characterized. However, vaccine impacts on transmission under diverse field conditions, such as variable pathogen exposure dosages, are not fully understood. We evaluated the impacts of vaccination on disease-induced host mortality and shedding of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) in Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish, in up to three different genetic lines, were exposed to different dosages of IHNV to simulate field variability. Mortality and viral shedding of each individual fish were quantified over the course of infection. As the exposure dosage increased, mortality, number of fish shedding virus, daily virus quantity shed, and total amount of virus shed also increased. Vaccination significantly reduced mortality but had a much smaller impact on shedding, such that vaccinated fish still shed significant amounts of virus, particularly at higher viral exposure dosages. These studies demonstrate that the consideration of pathogen exposure dosage and transmission are critical for robust inference of vaccine efficacy.

Characterization of immunoglobulin light chain utilization and variable family diversity in rainbow trout

This study characterizes immunoglobulin light chain (IgL) expression and variable family usage in rainbow trout. IgL transcripts were generated by 5' RACE from both immune and TNP-KLH immunized fish. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the IgL variable regions clustered into seven different families: three kappa families (two newly described in this study), three sigma families, and a single lambda family. IgL1 and IgL3 transcripts expressing identical variable regions were identified and genomic analysis revealed that the two isotypes are co-localized on chromosomes 7, 15, 18, and 21 allowing for potential rearrangement between clusters. Fish were immunized with TNP-KLH (n = 5) and percent expression of IgL1, IgL2, IgL3, and IgL4 measured by qRT-PCR from immune tissues and magnetically sorted TNP-specific lymphocyte populations. In all samples IgL1 constituted 80-95% of the transcripts. The percentage of anti-TNP specific IgL1 transcripts was measured in naïve, unsorted, and TNP-specific cell populations of TNP-KLH fish (n = 3) and found to be significantly higher in the TNP positive cell population (21%) compared to the naïve population (1%; p = 0.02) suggesting that there is a selection of TNP specific IgL sequences.

Metabolic and immune responses of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts to a short-term poly (I:C) challenge

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] was administered in vivo to Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) post-smolts to determine the immune responses on haematological and cellular functional parameters, including spleen (SP), head kidney (HK) and red blood cell (RBC) cytokine expression, as well as serum metabolomics. Poly (I:C) in vivo (24 h exposure) did not affect fish haematological parameters, leucocyte phagocytic activity and phagocytic index, reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide production. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics revealed that poly (I:C) significantly altered the serum biochemistry profile of 25 metabolites. Metabolites involved in the branched-chain amino acid/glutathione and transsulphuration pathways and phospholipid metabolism accumulated in poly (I:C)-treated fish, whereas those involved in the glycolytic and energy metabolism pathways were downregulated. At cytokine transcript level, poly (I:C) induced a significant upregulation of antiviral ifnγ in HK and Mx1 protein in HK, SP and RBCs. This study provides evidence for poly (I:C)-induced, immune-related biomarkers at metabolic and molecular levels in farmed O. tshawytscha in vivo. These findings provide insights into short-term effects of poly (I:C) at haematological, innate and adaptive immunity and metabolic levels, setting the stage for future studies.

Sockeye salmon demonstrate robust yet distinct transcriptomic kidney responses to rhabdovirus (IHNV) exposure and infection

Aquatic rhabdoviruses are globally significant pathogens associated with disease in both wild and cultured fish. Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a rhabdovirus that causes the internationally regulated disease infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) in most species of salmon. Yet not all naïve salmon exposed to IHNV become diseased, and the mechanisms by which some individuals evade or rapidly clear infection following exposure are poorly understood. Here we used RNA-sequencing to evaluate transcriptomic changes in sockeye salmon, a keystone species in the North Pacific and natural host for IHNV, to evaluate the consequences of IHNV exposure and/or infection on host cell transcriptional pathways. Immersion challenge of sockeye salmon smolts with IHNV resulted in approximately 33% infection prevalence, where both prevalence and viral kidney load peaked at 7 days post challenge (dpc). De novo assembly of kidney transcriptomes at 7 dpc revealed that both infected and exposed but noninfected individuals experienced substantial transcriptomic modification; however, stark variation in gene expression patterns were observed between exposed but noninfected, infected, and unexposed populations. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment in concert with differential expression analysis identified that kidney responses in exposed but noninfected fish emphasised a global pattern of transcriptional down-regulation, particularly for pathways involved in DNA transcription, protein biosynthesis and macromolecule metabolism. In contrast, transcriptomes of infected fish demonstrated a global emphasis of transcriptional up-regulation highlighting pathways involved in antiviral response, inflammation, apoptosis, and RNA processing. Quantitative PCR was subsequently used to highlight differential and time-specific regulation of acute phase, antiviral, inflammatory, cell boundary, and metabolic responsive transcripts in both infected and exposed but noninfected groups. This data demonstrates that waterborne exposure with IHNV has a dramatic effect on the sockeye salmon kidney transcriptome that is discrete between resistant and acutely susceptible individuals. We identify that metabolic, acute phase and cell boundary pathways are transcriptionally affected by IHNV and kidney responses to local infection are highly divergent from those generated as part of a disseminated response. These data suggest that primary resistance of naïve fish to IHNV may involve global responses that encourage reduced cellular signaling rather than promoting classical innate antiviral responses.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of a new arctigenin derivative against IHNV in vitro and in vivo

Viral diseases in aquaculture were challenging because there are few preventative measures and/or treatments. Our previous study indicated that imidazole arctigenin derivatives possessed antiviral activities against infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Based on the structure-activity relationship in that study, a new imidazole arctigenin derivative, 4-(8-(2-ethylimidazole)octyloxy)-arctigenin (EOA), was designed, synthesized and its anti-IHNV activity was evaluated. By comparing inhibitory concentration at half-maximal activity (IC₅₀), we found that EOA (IC₅₀ = 0.56 mg/L) possessed a higher antiviral activity than those imidazole arctigenin derivatives in our previous study. Besides, EOA could significantly decrease cytopathic effect (CPE) and viral titer induced by IHNV in epithelioma papulosum cyprinid (EPC) cells. In addition, EOA significantly inhibited apoptosis induced by IHNV in EPC cells. Further data verified that EOA inhibited IHNV replication in rainbow trout, with reducing 32.0% mortality of IHNV-infected fish. The results suggested that EOA was more stable with a prolonged inhibitory half-life in the early stage of virus infection (1-4 days). Consistent with above results, EOA repressed IHNV glycoprotein gene expression in virus sensitive tissues (kidney and spleen) in the early stage of virus infection. Moreover, histopathological evaluation showed that tissues from the spleen and kidney of fish infected with IHNV exhibited pathological changes. But there were no lesions in any of the tissues from the control group and EOA-treaten group. In accordance with the histopathological assay, EOA could elicited anti-inflammation response in non-viral infected rainbow trout by down-regulating the expression of cytokine genes (IL-8, IL-12p40, and TNF-α). Altogether, EOA was expected to be a therapeutic agent against IHNV infection in the field of aquaculture.

Synergistic osmoregulatory dysfunction during salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) and infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus co-infection in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) smolts

While co-infections are common in both wild and cultured fish, knowledge of the interactive effects of multiple pathogens on host physiology, gene expression and immune response is limited. To evaluate the impact of co-infection on host survival, physiology and gene expression, sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka smolts were infected with the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis (V-/SL+), infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV; V+/SL-), both (V+/SL+), or neither (V-/SL-). Survival in the V+/SL+ group was significantly lower than the V-/SL- and V-/SL+ groups (p = 0.024). Co-infected salmon had elevated osmoregulatory indicators and lowered haematocrit values as compared to the uninfected control. Expression of 12 genes associated with the host immune response was analysed in anterior kidney and skin. The only evidence of L. salmonis-induced modulation of the host antiviral response was down-regulation of mhc I although the possibility of modulation cannot be ruled out for mx-1 and rsad2. Co-infection did not influence the expression of genes associated with the host response to L. salmonis. Therefore, we conclude that the reduced survival in co-infected sockeye salmon resulted from the osmoregulatory consequences of the sea lice infections which were amplified due to infection with IHNV.

A pentavalent vaccine for rainbow trout in Danish aquaculture

Mariculture in Denmark is based on production of rainbow trout grown two years in fresh water followed by one growth season in sea cages. Although the majority of rainbow trout are vaccinated against the most serious bacterial pathogens - Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, Vibrio anguillarum and Yersinia ruckeri, by the use of commercially available vaccines, disease outbreaks requiring treatment with antibiotics still occur. The present study tested the potential of a new experimental multicomponent vaccine that is based on local bacterial strains, isolated from rainbow trout in Danish waters, and thus custom-designed for Danish rainbow trout mariculture. The vaccination with the multicomponent vaccine resulted in protection against three relevant bacterial diseases (yersiniosis, furunculosis, vibriosis) under experimental conditions. We showed that i.p. injection of the vaccine induced specific antibody responses in trout against the different bacterial antigens and regulated expression of genes encoding SAA, C3, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IgD and MHCII.

What could be the mechanisms of immunological memory in fish?

Vaccination is the most effective strategy to control infectious diseases in species with adaptive immunity. In human and in mouse, vaccination typically induces specific memory cells, which can mediate a fast anamnestic response upon infection by the targeted pathogen. In these species, successful vaccination induces a long-lasting protection, long after the titres of specific antibodies and the frequency of specific T cells have returned to steady state. Vaccination is also an important challenge in aquaculture, since alternative treatments are either too costly, or, in the case of antibiotics, are harmful for the environment or may result in dangerous resistances. However, the mechanisms of the long-term protection elicited by vaccines in fish remain poorly understood. Although fish possess typical B- and T-cells expressing diverse repertoires of immunoglobulins and T-cell receptors, many features of antigen specific responses are different from what is known in mouse and in human. Memory is one of the most elusive properties of fish adaptive immunity, and its basis is widely unknown. In this opinion article, we discuss the concept of immune memory in the context of the fish immunity. We illustrate the complexity of this question by discussing the results of experiments showing that protection can be passed through adoptive transfer of leukocytes from vaccinated donor fish to naive histocompatible recipients. Combined with tools developed in Targetfish and in previous projects, such as monoclonal antibodies against B- and T-cell markers, we propose that such models of protection transfer provide excellent systems to dissect the mechanisms of B- and T-cell memory in the future.

Significant differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning and effects on offspring fitness in Chinook salmon colour morphs

In oviparous species, maternal carotenoid provisioning can deliver diverse fitness benefits to offspring via increased survival, growth and immune function. Despite demonstrated advantages of carotenoids, large intra- and interspecific variation in carotenoid utilization exists, suggesting trade-offs associated with carotenoids. In Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), extreme variation in carotenoid utilization delineates two colour morphs (red and white) that differ genetically in their ability to deposit carotenoids into tissues. Here, we take advantage of this natural variation to examine how large differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning influence offspring fitness. Using a full factorial breeding design crossing morphs and common-garden rearing, we measured differences in a suite of fitness-related traits, including survival, growth, viral susceptibility and host response, in offspring of red (carotenoid-rich eggs) and white (carotenoid-poor eggs) females. Eggs of red females had significantly higher carotenoid content than those of white females (6× more); however, this did not translate into measurable differences in offspring fitness. Given that white Chinook salmon may have evolved to counteract their maternal carotenoid deficiency, we also examined the relationship between egg carotenoid content and offspring fitness within each morph separately. Egg carotenoids only had a positive effect within the red morph on survival to eyed-egg (earliest measured trait), but not within the white morph. Although previous work shows that white females benefit from reduced egg predation, our study also supports a hypothesis that white Chinook salmon have evolved additional mechanisms to improve egg survival despite low carotenoids, providing novel insight into evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this stable polymorphism.

Immune-Related Transcriptional Responses to Parasitic Infection in a Naturally Inbred Fish: Roles of Genotype and Individual Variation

Parasites are strong drivers of evolutionary change and the genetic variation of both host and parasite populations can co-evolve as a function of parasite virulence and host resistance. The role of transcriptome variation in specific interactions between host and parasite genotypes has been less studied and can be confounded by differences in genetic variation. We employed two naturally inbred lines of a self-fertilizing fish to estimate the role of host genotype in the transcriptome response to parasite infection using RNA-seq. In addition, we targeted several differentially expressed immune-related genes to further investigate the relative role of individual variation in the immune response using RT-qPCR, taking advantage of the genomic uniformity of the self-fertilizing lines. We found significant differences in gene expression between lines in response to infection both in the transcriptome and in individual gene RT-qPCR analyses. Individual RT-qPCR analyses of gene expression identified significant variance differences between lines for six genes but only for three genes between infected and control fish. Our results indicate that although the genetic background plays an important role in the transcriptome response to parasites, it cannot fully explain individual differences within genetically homogeneous lines, which can be important for determining the response to parasites.

Applications of transcriptomics and proteomics in understanding fish immunity

With the development of intensive aquaculture, economic losses increasingly result from fish mortality due to pathogen infection. In recent years, a growing number of researchers have used transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to study fish immune responses to exogenous pathogen infection. Integrating transcriptomic and proteomic analyses provides a better understanding of the fish immune system including gene expression, regulation, and the intricate biological processes underlying immune responses against infection. This review focuses on the recent advances in the fields of transcriptomics and proteomics, which have contributed to our understanding of fish immunity to exogenous pathogens.

Piscine orthoreovirus infection in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) protects against subsequent challenge with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV)

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is endemic in farmed rainbow trout in continental Europe and in various salmonid fish species at the Pacific coast of North America. IHN has never occurred in European Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms, but is considered as a major threat for the European salmon industry. Another virus, Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), is widespread in the sea phase of Atlantic salmon, and is identified as the causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between a primary PRV infection and a secondary IHNV infection under experimental conditions. A PRV cohabitation challenge was performed with Atlantic salmon. At peak of PRV viremia the fish were challenged by immersion with an IHNV genogroup E isolate. Clinical signs and morbidity were monitored. Target organs were sampled at selected time points to assess viral loads of both pathogens. Antiviral immune response and presence of histopathological findings were also investigated. Whereas the PRV-negative/IHNV positive group suffered significant decrease in survival caused by IHNV, the PRV infected groups did not suffer any morbidity and showed negligible levels of IHNV infection. Antiviral response genes were induced, as measured in spleen samples, from PRV infected fish prior to IHNV challenge. In conclusion, PRV-infection protects Atlantic salmon against IHNV infection and morbidity, most likely by inducing a protective innate antiviral response.

The infection of red seabream iridovirus in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) and the host immune related gene expression profiles

Red Sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) was initially isolated from marine fish, which belongs to Megalocytivirus, Iridoviridae. It can cause great economic losses in fish culture with high morbidity and mortality. In the present study, the pathogenicity and immune response associated with a RSIV genotype megalocytivirus infection were determined in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi). Fish challenged showed typical clinical signs of iridovirus infection, including acute haemorrhages and enlarged visceral organs. Histopathological analysis revealed that extensive necrosis, vacuolization and inflammation were presented in the stomach, spleen, kidney and liver of the diseased fish. Blood cells counting and phagocytic assay indicated that the numbers of the red and white blood cells in the peripheral blood of infected fish increased significantly compared to the control group and the phagocytic percentage of leukocytes peaked at day 6 post infection. Quantitive real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was also undertaken to analyse the host defensive response in mandarin fish challenged with RSIV. The expression level of ten genes including interferon-related factors (IRFs) IRF1 and IRF7, Mx, Viperin, JAK1, STAT1, TCRα, TNFα, IL-1β and IL-8 during experimental infection were monitored at different point of time in liver, spleen and head kidney. Results revealed varying expression profiles and clear transcriptional activation of these immune related genes in different tissues, which will contribute to better understand the pathogenesis and host defensive system in iridovirus invasion.

Intramuscular DNA Vaccination of Juvenile Carp against Spring Viremia of Carp Virus Induces Full Protection and Establishes a Virus-Specific B and T Cell Response

Although spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) can cause high mortalities in common carp, a commercial vaccine is not available for worldwide use. Here, we report a DNA vaccine based on the expression of the SVCV glycoprotein (G) which, when injected in the muscle even at a single low dose of 0.1 µg DNA/g of fish, confers up to 100% protection against a subsequent bath challenge with SVCV. Importantly, to best validate vaccine efficacy, we also optimized a reliable bath challenge model closely mimicking a natural infection, based on a prolonged exposure of carp to SVCV at 15°C. Using this optimized bath challenge, we showed a strong age-dependent susceptibility of carp to SVCV, with high susceptibility at young age (3 months) and a full resistance at 9 months. We visualized local expression of the G protein and associated early inflammatory response by immunohistochemistry and described changes in the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and antiviral genes in the muscle of vaccinated fish. Adaptive immune responses were investigated by analyzing neutralizing titers against SVCV in the serum of vaccinated fish and the in vitro proliferation capacity of peripheral SVCV-specific T cells. We show significantly higher serum neutralizing titers and the presence of SVCV-specific T cells in the blood of vaccinated fish, which proliferated upon stimulation with SVCV. Altogether, this is the first study reporting on a protective DNA vaccine against SVCV in carp and the first to provide a detailed characterization of local innate as well as systemic adaptive immune responses elicited upon DNA vaccination that suggest a role not only of B cells but also of T cells in the protection conferred by the SVCV-G DNA vaccine.

Differential gene expression following TLR stimulation in rag1-/- mutant zebrafish tissues and morphological descriptions of lymphocyte-like cell populations

In the absence of lymphocytes, rag1-/- mutant zebrafish develop protective immunity to bacteria. In mammals, induction of protection by innate immunity can be mediated by macrophages or natural killer (NK) cells. To elucidate potential responsive cell populations, we morphologically characterized lymphocyte-like cells (LLCs) from liver, spleen and kidney hematopoietic tissues. In fish, these cells include NK cells and Non-specific cytotoxic cells (NCCs). We also evaluated the transcriptional expression response of select genes that are important indicators of NK and macrophage activation after exposure to specific TLR ligands. The LLC cell populations could be discriminated by size and further discriminated by the presence of cytoplasmic granules. Expression levels of mx, tnfα, ifnγ, t-bet and nitr9 demonstrated dynamic changes in response to intra-coelomically administered β glucan (a TLR2/6 ligand), Poly I:C (a TLR3 ligand) and resiquimod (R848) (a TLR7/8 ligand). Following TLR 2/6 stimulation, there was a greater than 100 fold increase in ifnγ in liver, kidney and spleen and moderate increases in tnfα in liver and kidney. TLR3 stimulation caused broad up regulation of mx, down-regulation of tnfα in kidney and spleen tissues and up regulation of nitr9 in the kidney. Following TLR 7/8 stimulation, there was a greater than 100 fold increase in ifnγ in liver and kidney and t-bet in liver. Our gene expression findings suggest that LLCs and macrophages are stimulated following β glucan exposure. Poly I:C causes type I interferon response and mild induction of LLC in the kidney and R-848 exposure causes the strongest LLC stimulation. Overall, the strongest NK like gene expression occurred in the liver. These differential effects of TLR ligands in rag1-/- mutant zebrafish shows strong NK cell-like gene expression responses, especially in the liver, and provides tools to evaluate the basis for protective immunity mediated by the innate immune cells of fish.

A effective DNA vaccine against diverse genotype J infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus strains prevalent in China

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is the most important pathogen threatening the aquaculture of salmonid fish in China. In this study, a DNA vaccine, designated pIHNch-G, was constructed with the glycoprotein (G) gene of a Chinese IHNV isolate SD-12 (also called Sn1203) of genotype J. The minimal dose of vaccine required, the expression of the Mx-1 gene in the muscle (vaccine delivery site) and anterior kidney, and the titers of the neutralizing antibodies produced were used to evaluate the vaccine efficacy. To assess the potential utility of the vaccine in controlling IHNV throughout China, the cross protective efficacy of the vaccine was determined by challenging fish with a broad range of IHNV strains from different geographic locations in China. A single 100ng dose of the vaccine conferred almost full protection to rainbow trout fry (3g) against waterborne or intraperitoneal injection challenge with IHNV strain SD-12 as early as 4days post-vaccination (d.p.v.), and significant protection was still observed at 180d.p.v. Intragenogroup challenges showed that the DNA vaccine provided similar protection to the fish against all the Chinese IHNV isolates tested, suggesting that the vaccine can be widely used in China. Mx-1 gene expression was significantly upregulated in the muscle tissue (vaccine delivery site) and anterior kidney in the vaccinated rainbow trout at both 4 and 7d.p.v. Similar levels of neutralizing antibodies were determined with each of the Chinese IHNV strains at 60 and 180d.p.v. This DNA vaccine should play an important role in the control of IHN in China.

Inhibition of an Aquatic Rhabdovirus Demonstrates Promise of a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral for Use in Aquaculture

Many enveloped viruses cause devastating disease in aquaculture, resulting in significant economic impact. LJ001 is a broad-spectrum antiviral compound that inhibits enveloped virus infections by specifically targeting phospholipids in the lipid bilayer via the production of singlet oxygen (¹O₂). This stabilizes positive curvature and decreases membrane fluidity, which inhibits virus-cell membrane fusion during viral entry. Based on data from previous mammalian studies and the requirement of light for the activation of LJ001, we hypothesized that LJ001 may be useful as a preventative and/or therapeutic agent for infections by enveloped viruses in aquaculture. Here, we report that LJ001 was more stable with a prolonged inhibitory half-life at relevant aquaculture temperatures (15°C), than in mammalian studies at 37°C. When LJ001 was preincubated with our model virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), infectivity was significantly inhibited in vitro (using the epithelioma papulosum cyprini [EPC] fish cell line) and in vivo (using rainbow trout fry) in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. While horizontal transmission of IHNV in a static cohabitation challenge model was reduced by LJ001, transmission was not completely blocked at established antiviral doses. Therefore, LJ001 may be best suited as a therapeutic for aquaculture settings that include viral infections with lower virus-shedding rates than IHNV or where higher viral titers are required to initiate infection of naive fish. Importantly, our data also suggest that LJ001-inactivated IHNV elicited an innate immune response in the rainbow trout host, making LJ001 potentially useful for future vaccination approaches.

IMPORTANCE

Viral diseases in aquaculture are challenging because there are few preventative measures and/or treatments. Broad-spectrum antivirals are highly sought after and studied because they target common components of viruses. In our studies, we used LJ001, a broad-spectrum antiviral compound that specifically inhibits enveloped viruses. We used the fish rhabdovirus infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) as a model to study aquatic enveloped virus diseases and their inhibition. We demonstrated inhibition of IHNV by LJ001 both in cell culture as well as in live fish. Additionally, we showed that LJ001 inhibited the transmission of IHNV from infected fish to healthy fish, which lays the groundwork for using LJ001 as a possible therapeutic for aquatic viruses. Our results also suggest that virus inactivated by LJ001 induces an immune response, showing potential for future preventative (e.g., vaccine) applications.

Adverse Husbandry of Maraena Whitefish Directs the Immune System to Increase Mobilization of Myeloid Cells and Proinflammatory Responses

Adverse life circumstances evoke a common “conserved transcriptional response to adversity” (CTRA) in mammalian leukocytes. To investigate whether this pattern is preserved in lower vertebrates, maraena whitefish (Coregonus maraena) were exposed for 9 days to different stocking densities: ~10 kg/m³ (low density), ~33 kg/m³ (moderate), ~60 kg/m³ (elevated), and ~100 kg/m³ (high). Transcriptome profiling in the liver and kidney of individuals from each group suggested that crowding conditions activate stress-related signaling and effector pathways. Remarkably, about one-quarter of the genes differentially expressed under crowding conditions were involved in the activation of immune pathways such as acute-phase response and interleukin/TNF signaling attended by the simultaneous reduction of antiviral potency. Network analysis confirmed the complex interdigitation of immune- and stress-relevant pathways with interleukin-1 playing a central role. Antibody-based techniques revealed remarkable changes in the blood composition of whitefish and demonstrated the correlation between increasing stocking densities and elevated number of myeloid cells together with the increased phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes. In line with current studies in mammals, we conclude that crowding stress triggers in whitefish hallmarks of a CTRA, indicating that the stress-induced molecular mechanisms regulating the immune responses not only are conserved within mammals but were established earlier in evolution.

De novo assembly of Sockeye salmon kidney transcriptomes reveal a limited early response to piscine reovirus with or without infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus superinfection

Background

Piscine reovirus (PRV) has been associated with the serious disease known as Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) in cultured Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in Norway. PRV is also prevalent in wild and farmed salmon without overt disease manifestations, suggesting multifactorial triggers or PRV variant-specific factors are required to initiate disease. In this study, we explore the head kidney transcriptome of Sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka during early PRV infection to identify host responses in the absence of disease in hopes of elucidating mechanisms by which PRV may directly alter host functions and contribute to the development of a disease state. We further investigate the role of PRV as a coinfecting agent following superinfection with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) – a highly pathogenic rhabdovirus endemic to the west coast of North America.

Results

Challenge of Sockeye salmon with PRV resulted in high quantities of viral transcripts to become present in the blood and kidney of infected fish without manifestations of disease. De novo transcriptome assembly of over 2.3 billion paired RNA-seq reads from the head kidneys of 36 fish identified more than 320,000 putative unigenes, of which less than 20 were suggested to be differentially expressed in response to PRV at either 2 or 3 weeks post challenge by DESeq2 and edgeR analysis. Of these, only one, Ependymin, was confirmed to be differentially expressed by qPCR in an expanded sample set. In contrast, IHNV induced substantial transcriptional changes (differential expression of > 20,000 unigenes) which included transcripts involved in antiviral and inflammatory response pathways. Prior infection with PRV had no significant effect on host responses to superinfecting IHNV, nor did host responses initiated by IHNV exposure influence increasing PRV loads.

Conclusions

PRV does not substantially alter the head kidney transcriptome of Sockeye salmon during early (2 to 3 week) infection and dissemination in a period of significant increasing viral load, nor does the presence of PRV change the host transcriptional response to an IHNV superinfection. Further, concurrent infections of PRV and IHNV do not appear to significantly influence the infectivity or severity of IHNV associated disease, or conversely, PRV load.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3196-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Replication and shedding kinetics of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus in juvenile rainbow trout

Viral replication and shedding are key components of transmission and fitness, the kinetics of which are heavily dependent on virus, host, and environmental factors. To date, no studies have quantified the shedding kinetics of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), or how they are associated with replication, making it difficult to ascertain the transmission dynamics of this pathogen of high agricultural and conservation importance. Here, the replication and shedding kinetics of two M genogroup IHNV genotypes were examined in their naturally co-evolved rainbow trout host. Within host virus replication began rapidly, approaching maximum values by day 3 post-infection, after which viral load was maintained or gradually dropped through day 7. Host innate immune response measured as stimulation of Mx-1 gene expression generally followed within host viral loads. Shedding also began very quickly and peaked within 2days, defining a generally uniform early peak period of shedding from 1 to 4days after exposure to virus. This was followed by a post-peak period where shedding declined, such that the majority of fish were no longer shedding by day 12 post-infection. Despite similar kinetics, the average shedding rate over the course of infection was significantly lower in mixed compared to single genotype infections, suggesting a competition effect, however, this did not significantly impact the total amount of virus shed. The data also indicated that the duration of shedding, rather than peak amount of virus shed, was correlated with fish mortality. Generally, the majority of virus produced during infection appeared to be shed into the environment rather than maintained in the host, although there was more retention of within host virus during the post-peak period. Viral virulence was correlated with shedding, such that the more virulent of the two genotypes shed more total virus. This fundamental understanding of IHNV shedding kinetics and variation at the individual fish level could assist with management decisions about how to respond to disease outbreaks when they occur.

Toll-like receptors and interferon associated immune factors responses to spring viraemia of carp virus infection in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Pattern recognition receptor (PRR) toll-like receptors (TLRs), antiviral agent interferon (IFN) and the effector IFN stimulated genes (ISGs) play a fundamental role in the innate immune response against viruses among all vertebrate classes. Common carp is a host for spring viraemia of carp virus (Rhabdovirus carpio, SVCV), which belong to Rhabdoviridae family. The present in-vivo experiment was conducted to investigate the expression of these innate immune factors in early phase as well as during recovery of SVCV infection by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. A less lethal SVCV infection was generated in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and was sampled at 3, 6, 12 h post infection (hpi), 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days post infection (dpi). At 3 hpi, the SVCV N gene was detected in all three fish and all three fish showed a relative fold increase of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR7, IFNa1, ISG15 and Vig1. Viral copies rapidly increased at 12 hpi then remained high until 5 dpi. When viral copy numbers were high, a higher expression of immune genes TLR2, TLR3, TLR7, IFNa1, IFNa2, IFNa1S, IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), IRF7, interleukin 1β (IL1β), IL6, IL10, ADAR, ISG15, Mx1, PKR and Vig1 were observed. Viral copies were gradually reduced in 5 to 10 dpi fish, and also the immune response was considerably reduced but remained elevated. A high degree of correlation was observed between immune genes and viral copy number in each of the sampled fish at 12 hpi. The quick and prolonged elevated expression of the immune genes indicates their crucial role in survival of host against SVCV.

Immunomodulation of Lactobacillus pentosus PL11 against Edwardsiella tarda infection in the head kidney cells of the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica)

Wild and farm-raised fish can be simultaneously exposed to different types of pathogens in their habitats. Hence, it is important to study their effects, whether isolated or in combination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus pentosus PL11 on the transcription of specific cytokine genes related to immune response, using Japanese eel macrophages as an in vitro model. Head kidney leukocytes were isolated from Japanese eels and cell viability was determined using an MTT reagent. In addition, the Griess reagent was used to determine the nitric oxide (NO) production while, an enzyme-linked immunosobent assay (ELISA) and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were utilized to quantify the level of proinflammatory cytokines. The results of the study indicated that infection by Edwardsiella tarda alone causes a higher rate of cell death and an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β, 822.67 ± 29.48 pg mL(-1)), interleukin-6 (IL-6, 13.57 ± 0.55 pg mL(-1)), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, 2033.67 ± 84.68 pg mL(-1)). However, co-culture with L. pentosus PL11 downregulates the production of NO and the related IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α by 46%, 88.4%, 59%, and 77%, respectively. Quantification of the mRNA expression level revealed it to be consistent with the ELISA analysis. Hence, we infer that L. pentosus PL11 plays a significant role in the immunmodulation of the inflammatory responses that arise in fish owing to infection by pathogenic bacteria such as Edwardsiella tarda.

Can VHS Virus Bypass the Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination in Rainbow Trout?

DNA vaccines encoding viral glycoproteins have been very successful for induction of protective immunity against diseases caused by rhabdoviruses in cultured fish species. However, the vaccine concept is based on a single viral gene and since RNA viruses are known to possess high variability and adaptation capacity, this work aimed at evaluating whether viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), an RNA virus and member of Rhabdoviridae family, was able to evade the protective immune response induced by the DNA vaccination of rainbow trout. The experiments comprised repeated passages of a highly pathogenic VHSV isolate in a fish cell line in the presence of neutralizing fish serum (in vitro approach), and in rainbow trout immunized with the VHS DNA vaccine (in vivo approach). For the in vitro approach, the virus collected from the last passage (passaged virus) was as sensitive as the parental virus to serum neutralization, suggesting that the passaging did not promote the selection of virus populations able to bypass the neutralization by serum antibodies. Also, in the in vivo approach, where virus was passaged several times in vaccinated fish, no increased virulence nor increased persistence in vaccinated fish was observed in comparison with the parental virus. However, some of the vaccinated fish did get infected and could transmit the infection to naïve cohabitant fish. The results demonstrated that the DNA vaccine induced a robust protection, but also that the immunity was non-sterile. It is consequently important not to consider vaccinated fish as virus free in veterinary terms.

Transforming growth factor-β1 expression in endangered age-0 shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) from Upper Klamath Lake, OR relative to histopathology, meristic, spatial, and temporal data

During July-September of 2008, 2009, and 2010 endangered age-0 juvenile shortnose suckers were sampled from Upper Klamath Lake, OR in a health evaluation that included the measurement of transforming growth factor - beta (TGF-β) expression in spleen in combination with a histopathology assessment. This analysis was performed to determine if the expression of this immuno-regulator could be used as a component of a larger health evaluation intended to identify potential risk-factors that may help to explain why very few of these fish survive to age-1. Potential associations between TGF-β1 expression, histopathological findings, meristic data as well as temporal and spatial data were evaluated using analysis-of-variance. In this analysis, the absence or presence of opercula deformity and hepatic cell necrosis were identified as significant factors in accounting for the variance in TGF-β1 expression observed in age-0 shortnose suckers (n = 122, squared multiple R = 0.989). Location of sample collection and the absence or presence of anchor worms (Lernaea spp.) were identified as significant cofactors. The actual mechanisms involved with these relationships have yet to be determined. The strength, however, of our findings support the concept of using TGF-β1 expression as part of a broader fish health assessment and suggests the potential for using additional immunologic measures in future studies. Specifically, our results indicate that the measure of TGF-β1 expression in age-0 shortnose sucker health assessments can facilitate the process of identifying disease risks that are associated with the documented lack of recruitment into the adult population.

Immune responses to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Schizothorax prenanti fed with oxidized konjac glucomannan and its acidolysis products

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of dietary oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM) and its acidolysis products (L-OKGM) on the immune parameters and the gene expression profile of some inflammatory-related cytokines from Schizothorax prenanti during the early stages of injection with Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish were orally administered with seven different diets containing 0 g kg(-1) (control diet), 8.0, 16.0 and 32.0 g kg(-1) OKGM and L-OKGM diets for 60 days prior to injection. After 60 days, the control and the treated fish were intraperitoneally injected with 0.2 ml PBS or 2 × 10(7) cfu/ml bacteria per fish and sampled at time 6 h post-injection. The results showed that the serum lysozyme activity and complement C3 level of fish fed 8.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM was significantly increased after bacterial infection. Moreover, the injection with A. hydrophila generally up-regulated the expression of all measured genes when compared to their corresponding controls. When compared with the control group, the expression of TLR22, TNF-α and IL-1β was significantly increased in fish fed OKGM and L-OKGM diet after bacterial injection. Furthermore, the L-OKGM diet showed higher activity to trigger the immune response against bacteria, especially the low dosage L-OKGM diet. The results suggested that both of OKGM and L-OKGM are promising feed additive for S. prenanti in aquaculture.

Role of the IFN I system against the VHSV infection in juvenile Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis)

Senegalese sole is susceptible to marine VHSV isolates but is not affected by freshwater isolates, which may indicate differences regarding virus-host immune system interaction. IFN I induces an antiviral state in fish, stimulating the expression of genes encoding antiviral proteins (ISG). In this study, the stimulation of the Senegalese sole IFN I by VHSV infections has been evaluated by the relative quantification of the transcription of several ISG (Mx, Isg15 and Pkr) after inoculation with marine (pathogenic) and freshwater (non-pathogenic) VHSV isolates. Compared to marine VHSV, lower levels of RNA of the freshwater VHSV induced transcription of ISG to similar levels, with the Isg15 showing the highest fold induction. The protective role of the IFN I system was evaluated in poly I:C-inoculated animals subsequently challenged with VHSV isolates. The cumulative mortality caused by the marine isolate in the control group was 68%, whereas in the poly I:C-stimulated group was 5%. The freshwater VHSV isolate did not cause any mortality. Furthermore, viral RNA fold change and viral titers were lower in animals from the poly I:C + VHSV groups than in the controls. The implication of the IFN I system in the protection observed was confirmed by the transcription of the ISG in animals from the poly I:C + VHSV groups. However, the marine VHSV isolate exerts a negative effect on the ISG transcription at 3 and 6 h post-inoculation (hpi), which is not observed for the freshwater isolate. This difference might be partly responsible for the virulence shown by the marine isolate.

Teleost Chemokines and Their Receptors

Chemokines are a superfamily of cytokines that appeared about 650 million years ago, at the emergence of vertebrates, and are responsible for regulating cell migration under both inflammatory and physiological conditions. The first teleost chemokine gene was reported in rainbow trout in 1998. Since then, numerous chemokine genes have been identified in diverse fish species evidencing the great differences that exist among fish and mammalian chemokines, and within the different fish species, as a consequence of extensive intrachromosomal gene duplications and different infectious experiences. Subsequently, it has only been possible to establish clear homologies with mammalian chemokines in the case of some chemokines with well-conserved homeostatic roles, whereas the functionality of other chemokine genes will have to be independently addressed in each species. Despite this, functional studies have only been undertaken for a few of these chemokine genes. In this review, we describe the current state of knowledge of chemokine biology in teleost fish. We have mainly focused on those species for which more research efforts have been made in this subject, specifically zebrafish (Daniorerio), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchusmykiss) and catfish (Ictaluruspunctatus), outlining which genes have been identified thus far, highlighting the most important aspects of their expression regulation and addressing any known aspects of their biological role in immunity. Finally, we summarise what is known about the chemokine receptors in teleosts and provide some analysis using recently available data to help characterise them more clearly.

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) persistence in Sockeye Salmon: influence on brain transcriptome and subsequent response to the viral mimic poly(I:C)

Background

Sockeye Salmon are an iconic species widely distributed throughout the North Pacific. A devastating pathogen of Sockeye Salmon is infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV, genus Novirhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae). It has been postulated that IHNV is maintained in salmon populations by persisting over the life of its host and/or by residing in natural reservoirs other than its susceptible hosts. Herein we demonstrate the presence of IHNV in the brain of Sockeye Salmon that survived an experimentally-induced outbreak, suggesting the presence of viral persistence in this susceptible species. To understand the viral persistent state in Sockeye Salmon we profiled the transcriptome to evaluate the host response in asymptomatic carriers and to determine what effects (if any) IHNV exposure may have on subsequent virus challenges.

Results

A laboratory disease model to simulate a natural IHNV outbreak in Sockeye Salmon resulted in over a third of the population incurring acute IHN disease and mortality during the first four months after initial exposure. Nine months post IHNV exposure, despite the absence of disease and mortality, a small percentage (<4 %) of the surviving population contained IHNV in brain. Transcriptome analysis in brain of asymptomatic virus carriers and survivors without virus exhibited distinct transcriptional profiles in comparison to naïve fish. Characteristic for carriers was the up-regulation of genes involved in antibody production and antigen presentation. In both carriers and survivors a down-regulation of genes related to cholesterol biosynthesis, resembling an antiviral mechanism observed in higher vertebrates was revealed along with differences in nervous system development. Moreover, following challenge with poly(I:C), survivors and carriers displayed an elevated antiviral immune response in comparison to naïve fish.

Conclusions

IHN virus persistence was identified in Sockeye Salmon where it elicited a unique brain transcriptome profile suggesting an ongoing adaptive immune response. IHNV carriers remained uncompromised in mounting efficient innate antiviral responses when exposed to a viral mimic. The capacity of IHNV to reside in asymptomatic hosts supports a virus carrier hypothesis and if proven infectious, could have significant epidemiological consequences towards maintaining and spreading IHNV among susceptible host populations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1759-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Innate Multigene Family Memories Are Implicated in the Viral-Survivor Zebrafish Phenotype

Since adaptive features such as memory were discovered in mammalian innate immunity, interest in the immunological status of primitive vertebrates after infections has grown. In this context, we used zebrafish (Danio rerio), a primitive vertebrate species suited to molecular and genetic studies to explore transcriptional memories of the immune system in long-term survivors of viral haemorrhagic septicemia virus infections. Immune-gene targeted microarrays designed in-house, multipath genes, gene set enrichment, and leading-edge analysis, reveal unexpected consistent correlations between the viral-survivor phenotype and several innate multigene families. Thus, here we describe in survivors of infections the upregulation of the multigene family of proteasome subunit macropains, zebrafish-specific novel gene sets, mitogen activated protein kinases, and epidermal growth factor. We also describe the downregulation of the multigene families of c-reactive proteins, myxovirus-induced proteins and novel immunoglobulin-type receptors. The strength of those immunological memories was reflected by the exceptional similarity of the transcriptional profiles of survivors before and after re-infection compared with primary infected fish. On the other hand, the high levels of neutralizing antibodies in the blood plasma of survivors contrasted with the depletion of transcripts specific for most cell types present in lymphoid organs. Therefore, long-term survivors maintained unexpected molecular/cellular memories of previous viral encounters by modulating the expression levels of innate multigene families as well as having specific adaptive antibodies. The implications of the so-called "trained immunity" for future research in this field are also discussed.

The effects of dietary oxidized konjac glucomannan and its acidolysis products on the immune response, expression of immune related genes and disease resistance of Schizothorax prenanti

In the present study, KGM was degraded by H2O2 and HCl to obtain two products with different molecular weights: oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM, 4.7 × 10(5) Da) and low-molecular-weight oxidized konjac glucomannan (L-OKGM, 9.2 × 10(3) Da). The effects of the two OKGM products on IL-1β, TNF-α, and TLR22 gene expression, and immune parameters and the resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila of Schizothorax prenanti were determined. The results showed that the lysozyme activity was significantly enhanced by the L-OKGM diets. The SOD activity was significantly increased by both OKGM and L-OKGM diets. The MDA level of fish fed the OKGM and L-OKGM diets was significantly lower than the control group. IL-1β mRNA level in the spleen significantly increased in all L-OKGM fed groups. The 8.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM diet also significantly up-regulated IL-1β gene expression in the head kidney. In the gut, IL-1β mRNA levels were significantly higher in fish fed with the 8.0 g kg(-1) OKGM and 16.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM diets. The TNF-α mRNA level of L-OKGM group significantly increased in the spleen, head kidney and gut. High dosing of OKGM significantly up-regulated TNF-α transcription in the head kidney, while only the 8.0 g kg(-1) OKGM group showed significantly higher TNF-α mRNA expression in the mesonephros. Fish fed the L-OKGM diets showed significantly higher expression of TLR22 in the spleen, head kidney and mesonephros. After the injection of A. hydrophila, the 8.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM group showed a significantly higher survival rate than did the control group. Present study suggests that OKGM and L-OKGM can up-regulate immune-related gene expression and enhance disease resistance in S. prenanti, and L-OKGM exhibits higher immunomodulatory activity.