STRESS BIOMARKERS IN EPIDERMAL MUCUS OF MARINE FISHES

鱼类的多样性和丰富度受到若干因素的影响，包括自然压力（如温度、pH值和捕食者）以及人为压力（如生境丧失和污染）。随着我们的气候变化，鱼类面临各种环境压力，它们必须适应或死亡。当鱼受到压力时，生物活性化合物（例如蛋白质）从组织和器官（例如鳃、皮肤、肝、脾和肾）释放，并且可以收集在鱼的粘液中。生物标志物可以作为导致体内平衡丧失的生理紊乱或压力的警告信号。这些压力源也可以影响负责蛋白质翻译的基因的调节，因此适应机制也可以在鱼组织的DNA和RNA中检测到。通过研究这些变化如何受到年龄，性别和其他生理决定因素的影响，我将增加我们对鱼类在不断变化的环境中生存的权衡的理解。这种新的方法涉及测试的假设，这些变化的代谢意义。我的研究项目探索识别表皮粘液蛋白生物标志物，以应对鱼类的压力。在接下来的5年里，我将把我的专业知识用于识别海洋鱼类表皮粘液中的蛋白质，并探索这些蛋白质在特定环境压力下的丰度和多样性变化。我在学术任命的最后3年导致了16名荣誉学生和21名研究课题学生的监督和培训。最近，我们获得了资金，使我的学生，合作者和我能够探索与几种鱼类的一般健康和免疫力相关的蛋白质，包括杜父鱼，黑线鳕，红鱼，鲶鱼，条纹鲈鱼，鲑鱼，鳟鱼和鳕鱼。我计划在未来的研究中使用这些生物标志物来检查鱼类中特定压力源的存在和程度。我们获得的信息将提供几块拼图，有助于更好地了解环境压力对鱼类健康的影响。该项目还将吸引来自地球仪的研究人员，并为动物压力研究提供培训基地。

Fish diversity and abundance is affected by several factors, including natural stressors (e.g. temperature, pH and predators) as well as anthropogenic stressors (e.g. habitat loss and pollution). As our climate changes, fish are presented with a variety of environmental stressors to which they must either adapt or perish. When a fish is stressed, bioreactive compounds (e.g. proteins) are released from tissues and organs such as the gill, skin, liver, spleen and kidney and can collect in the mucus of fish. Biomarkers can act as warning signs of physiological disturbances or stress leading to a loss of homeostasis. These stressors can also affect the regulation of genes responsible for protein translation, and therefore mechanisms of adaptation can also be detected in the DNA and RNA of fish tissues. By examining how these changes are affected by age, sex and other physiological determinants, I will increase our understanding of the trade-offs fish may be making to survive in our changing environment. This novel approach involves testing of hypotheses regarding the metabolic significance of these changes. My research program explores the identification of epidermal mucus protein biomarkers in response to stress in fish. Over the next 5 years I will bring my expertise to bear on identifying proteins in the epidermal mucus of marine fishes and exploring changes in abundance and diversity of these proteins in response to specific environmental stressors. My last 3 years in an academic appointment has resulted in supervision and training of 16 Honours students and 21 research topics students. Recently, we have acquired funding that has allowed my students, collaborators and I to explore proteins related to general health and immunity in several fish species including sculpin, haddock, redfish, catfish, striped bass, salmon, trout and cod. I plan to use these biomarkers for future studies examining the presence and extent of specific stressors in fish. The information we acquire will provide several pieces of the puzzle that contribute to a better understanding of the effects of environmental stressors on fish health. This program will also draw together researchers from across the globe and provide a training ground for research on animal stress.