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Ichthyophthirius multifiliis: a model of cutaneous infection and immunity in fishes
Author(s) -
Dickerson Harry,
Clark Theodore
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1998.tb01277.x
Subject(s) - ichthyophthirius multifiliis , biology , immune system , immunity , antigen , immunology , acquired immune system , mucus , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , parasite hosting , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , fishery , world wide web , computer science
Summary: The parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifilus offers a useful system for the study of cutaneous immunity against an infectious microorganism. Naive fish usually die following infection, but animals surviving sublethal parasite exposure become resistant to subsequent challenge. This resistance correlates with the presence of humoral antibodies in the sera and cutaneous mucus of immune fish. A mechanism of immunity has recently been elucidated that involves and body binding to surface proteins (referred to as immobilization antigens or i‐antigens) located on the parasite cell and ciliary membranes. Antibody‐mediated cross‐linking of i‐antigens triggers a response by the parasite resulting in its exit from the host. These effects can be observed directly on the surface of live fish. In addition to allowing the observation of effector responses in vivo, Ichthyophthirius also provides a means to study the ontogeny of the mucosal immune response. The sites of antigen capture and presentation, and the sites of antibody production, are unknown with regard to cutaneous immunity. Because the external epithelial surfaces of fish are often the points of pathogen entry, a basic understanding of the inductive immune mechanisms and immune cell interactions in the skin and gills is extremely important with regard to vaccine development. The development of Ichthyophthirius as an experimental system and how it might be used to address these issues are discussed in this review.