Multiple routes to B cell memory in Atlantic salmon

Viral diseases are a main concern in the Norwegian aquaculture industry, and the vaccines on the market give suboptimal protection. B cell memory responses are essential for durable protective immunity after vaccination. The organization of the teleost immune system and its B cell components differ from mammals, and it is likely that these features influence how immunological memory is maintained. It is therefore a need to determine the protective status of vaccines related to elicited B cell responses. However, the components and mechanisms underlying formation of and function of A. salmon B cell memory are still elusive. In this project we   study salmon  B cells, their distribution, and the quantity and quality of B cell memory responses after vaccination. Our own previous work has shown that a high and long lasting antibody response is induced in vivo using the TLR ligands (CpG/poly I:C) as adjuvants in combination with salmonid alphavirus (SAV) antigen. The antibody levels were significantly higher than with other adjuvants, suggesting that TLR stimulation mediate salmon B cell effector functions. This model is used as a basis in the proposed project to explore how TLR ligands influence salmon B cell memory and whether B cells of memory and/or plasma cell phenotypes exist. To identify different B cell subpopulations and explore their functions a wide repertoire of state of the art techniques will be employed including proteomics, flow cytometry and RNAseq. If successful, our research will guide the design of future vaccines and also provide a set of valuable tools to measure salmon B cell levels and functions.

Project ID Cristin: 689177

The Research Council of Norway:  Project No: 244892