STRESS BIOMARKERS IN EPIDERMAL MUCUS OF MARINE FISHES

鱼类的多样性和丰度受到多种因素的影响，包括自然压力因素（如温度、pH值和捕食者）以及人为压力因素（如栖息地丧失和污染）。随着气候的变化，鱼类面临着各种各样的环境压力，它们要么适应，要么灭亡。当鱼受到压力时，生物反应性化合物（如蛋白质）会从鳃、皮肤、肝脏、脾脏和肾脏等组织和器官中释放出来，并会聚集在鱼的粘液中。生物标志物可以作为生理紊乱或压力导致体内平衡丧失的警告信号。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类组织的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所做出的权衡的理解。这种新颖的方法包括测试关于这些变化的代谢意义的假设。我的研究项目是探讨鱼类对应激反应的表皮粘液蛋白生物标志物的鉴定。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。在过去的三年里，我在学术任命中指导和培训了16名荣誉学生和21名研究课题学生。最近，我们获得了一笔资金，使我的学生、合作者和我能够探索几种鱼类中与一般健康和免疫力相关的蛋白质，这些鱼类包括鳕鱼、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记物来检查鱼类中特定压力源的存在和程度。我们获得的信息将有助于更好地理解环境压力源对鱼类健康的影响。该项目还将汇集来自全球的研究人员，为动物应激研究提供一个训练基地。

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.