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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #369985
Research Project: Genetic Improvement Of Marine Fish and Shellfish

Location: National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center

Title: Mechanisms of hemocyte apoptosis in response to in vivo infection with perkinsus marinus in the eastern oyster crassostrea virginica

Author
item ROBERTS, ERIN - University Of Rhode Island
item Proestou, Dina
item WICKFORS, GARY - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
item Markey Lundgren, Kathryn
item SULLIVAN, MARY - University Of Rhode Island
item GOMEZ-CHIARRI, MARTA - University Of Rhode Island

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Increased hemocyte apoptosis may prevent or reduce P. marinus replication in infected individuals; however, the precise apoptotic pathway and molecules involved are poorly understood. One-year old oysters from two selected families were injected with P. marinus at 5 x 106 cells/g wet weight. Tissues were preserved and Perkinsus levels measured at multiple timepoints post injection. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to assess gene expression in susceptible and resistant oyster families. Differential gene expression analysis of apoptosis-related genes revealed the resistant family having significant upregulation of genes involved in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, including IAP, TRAF, and IFI44 relative to the susceptible family. Genes involved in lysosomal degradation that also serve as apoptosis triggers were also upregulated. To further investigate the involvement of these pathways during an in vivo infection, oysters putative susceptibility to Dermo disease were challenged with P. marinus. At 7 d post-infection, levels of apoptosis, caspase 3/7 activation, and lysosomal permeabilization were assessed by flow cytometry, and tissue was collected to assess P. marinus levels. No differences between control and Dermo-infected oysters in caspase 3/7 activation or lysosomal permeabilization were detected; however, granular hemocyte apoptosis was significantly lower in Dermo-injected oysters compared to the control, suggesting parasite inhibition of hemocyte apoptosis. This study revealed which pathways and enzymes are involved in the apoptotic response to P. marinus, informing the design of future functional studies.