Innate immunity of salmonids

这些研究旨在更好地了解鱼类对传染病的天生抵抗力和对压力的适应性反应。我们对作为急性时相反应的一部分产生的蛋白质感兴趣。这些蛋白质是作为对组织损伤和感染的反应而产生的，其中许多蛋白质在适应性免疫反应形成之前负责抵抗疾病。它们的作用部分是通过与受感染的有机体表面结合，并通过吞噬细胞或中和破坏组织的酶来调节清除。为了鉴定这些蛋白质，我们使用了新的、高度敏感的蛋白质组学技术。我们已经确定了候选蛋白质，这些蛋白质可能是彩虹鲑鱼有害健康的高度敏感的指标，这项研究将评估它们的有用性。我们还使用了功能结合分析来鉴定与细菌表面结合的血清蛋白。我们已经确定了可能与对特定细菌病原体的抗性有关的蛋白质，这项研究将解决鱼类识别和消除感染性病原体的一些机制。我们还将研究应激诱导免疫抑制的一种新机制。这项研究可能最终允许开发用于抗病选择的分析方法。选择天生对疾病具有抵抗力的个体将减少在养殖鱼类中广泛使用抗生素的需要。有害健康分析还将提供客观工具，以评估养殖业对压力和生产力的做法，使养鱼户能够有效地对有关集约管理鱼类的伦理关切作出反应。

These studies are designed to better understand innate resistance of fish to infectious disease and the adaptive response to stress. We are interested in proteins produced as part of the acute phase response. These proteins are produced as a reaction to tissue damage and infection and many of these proteins are responsible for resistance to disease during the period before an adaptive immune response can develop. They act, in part, by binding to the surface of infectious organisms and mediating clearance by phagocytes or by neutralizing tissue-damaging enzymes. To identify these proteins we have used novel, highly sensitive proteomics techniques. We have identified candidate proteins that may be useful as highly sensitive indicators of adverse health in rainbow trout and this research will evaluate their usefulness. We have also used functional binding assays to identify serum proteins that bind to bacterial surfaces. We have identified proteins that may be relevant for resistance to specific bacterial pathogens and this research will address some of the mechanisms by which fish recognize and eliminate infectious agents. We will also examine a novel mechanism of stress-induced immunosuppression. This research may eventually allow the development of assays for selection for disease resistance. Selection for individuals that are inherently resistant to disease will reduce the need for widespread use of antibiotics in farmed fish. Assays of adverse health will also provide objective tools to evaluate husbandry practices on stress and productivity allowing fish farmers to respond effectively to ethical concerns regarding the intensive management of fish.