Identifying the antiviral responses of oysters to mitigate disease in aquaculture

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Infectious disease poses the biggest threat to production of food by aquaculture. In particular, diseases caused by oyster viruses are spreading around the world. The decline in global production of oysters in the last decade is contributed to a herpesvirus that decimated Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) production in Europe, Asia and Oceania. The Pacific oyster is the most lucrative shellfish grown in Canada. This herpesvirus has not yet been detected in Canadian waters. However, the global expansion of aquaculture, increasing international vessel movements and changing oceans means it is likely that the Canadian shellfish industry will be exposed to this herpesvirus in the near-future with devastating consequences. The oyster's immune system has traditionally been viewed to lack immune memory, meaning they could not be vaccinated against viral diseases. A recent paradigm shift in comparative immunology was triggered by evidence that invertebrates have a primitive-form of immune-memory, termed innate immune memory'. Recent research, including my own, has identified evidence of innate immune memory in Pacific oysters against herpesvirus infection. This research will investigate innate immune memory in the oyster to better understand the mechanistic basis of this antiviral response. Epigenetic and proteomic techniques will be coupled to characterize within and multi-generational immune-priming in the oyster. By identifying the mechanistic basis of trained immunity in oysters, an expected outcome of this project is the knowledge to immunize entire crops of oysters against viral diseases. This will help the Canadian shellfish industry to avoid multi-million dollar losses associated with herpesvirus outbreaks.