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Role of scuticociliate proteinases in infection success in turbot, Psetta maxima (L.)
Author(s) -
PIAZZON C.,
LAMAS J.,
LEIRO J. M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2011.01310.x
Subject(s) - turbot , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , complement system , antibody , immunology , alternative complement pathway , immunity , innate immune system , immune system , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery
Summary Scuticociliatosis caused by Philasterides dicentrarchi is one of the most severe diseases of farmed turbot, Psetta maxima (L.). Immunized fish showed elevated levels of specific antibodies (Ab), which caused the destruction of parasites through the activation of complement by the alternative and classical pathways. By using affinity chromatography on bacitracin–sepharose columns, we demonstrated the existence of high levels of parasite proteinases in the serum and, to a lesser extent, in the ascitic fluid of experimentally infected fish, and the absence of such proteinases in the serum of uninfected fish. Serum from uninfected fish displayed haemolytic activity against sheep red blood cells. However, incubation of this serum with parasite proteinases led to a decrease in serum haemolytic activity, suggesting that proteinases are able to destroy fish complement. Proteinases isolated from serum or ascitic fluid of infected fish were also able to degrade turbot Ab. Preincubation of turbot serum containing specific Ab for P. dicentrarchi with the proteinases led to a significant decrease in the killing activity of the serum. The results confirm that P. dicentrarchi proteinases in serum from infected fish may provide a mechanism for circumventing normal host immunity by inactivating the Ab and complement factors required for complement activation.