Immunologically trained fish larvae
Innate immune training offers an attractive approach in intensive fish larval rearing, especially since the adaptive immune system is not fully developed. Trained innate immunity will potentially favor robust fish in terms of resistance to viral and bacterial diseases. So-called immunostimulants such as ß-glucans have for decades been used both in laboratories and in intensive fish aquaculture. Treatment of fish by ß-glucans (and by other substances with pathogen-associated molecular patterns) often induces activation of non-specific/innate immune mechanisms and induces higher disease resistance. The reported effects of e.g. ß-glucans fit nicely into the concept “trained innate immunity”, but the research on fish does not yet include analysis of epigenetic changes that may be a prerequisite for long-lasting trained innate immunity. This project will approach whether innate training induce diseae resistance in fish larvae. PI: Roy A. Dalmo. Master student: Harald Kristoffersen.
Harald Kristoffersen