Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #397409

Research Project: Improving Salmonid Health through Breeding, Vaccination and Microbiome Modulation

Location: Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research

Title: Plasma proteomic profiling of bacterial cold-water disease resistant and susceptible rainbow trout lines and identification of a novel disease biomarker

Author
item Wiens, Gregory - Greg
item MARANCIK, DAVID - St George'S University
item CHADWICK, CHRISTOPHER - Life Diagnostics, Inc
item Reid, Ross
item Osbourn, Keira
item Leeds, Timothy - Tim

Submitted to: Fish and Shellfish Immunology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/13/2022
Publication Date: 12/12/2022
Citation: Wiens, G.D., Marancik, D.P., Chadwick, C.C., Reid, R.M., Osbourn, K.E., Leeds, T.D. 2022. Plasma proteomic profiling of bacterial cold-water disease resistant and susceptible rainbow trout lines and identification of a novel disease biomarker. Fish and Shellfish Immunology. 131(2022)1297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2022.10.042.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2022.10.042

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Genetic variation for disease resistance is present in salmonid fish; however, the molecular basis is poorly understood, and biomarkers of disease susceptibility are unavailable. At the U.S. National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture, we have selected a line of rainbow trout with increased innate resistance against bacterial cold water disease caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum (Fp). After five generations of selection, the resistant line (ARS-Fp-R) exhibits over 60 percentage points higher survival compared to a reference susceptible line (ARS-Fp-S). To gain insight into the differential host response between genetic lines, we compared the plasma proteomes on day 6 following injection challenge. Pooled plasma from unhandled, PBS-injected, and Fp-injected groups were simultaneously analyzed using a 6-plex label. The MS/MS spectra were searched against the Oncorhynchus mykiss database of 62,608 sequences (Swanson, Omyk 1.0) and 506 proteins were identified. A greater number of proteins were differentially regulated (<0.8 or >1.2-fold) in the infected susceptible line (n=246) as compared to the resistant line (n=208). Data were merged with a transcriptomic, whole-body RNA-seq dataset. A subset of higher abundance proteins was identified that lacked predicted signal sequences, and were not transcriptionally upregulated, suggesting that these were elevated in plasma due to pathogen-induced tissue damage. Differentially regulated, secreted proteins included acute phase proteins, protease inhibitors and chemotactic factors. In the susceptible line, a secreted C1q family member (designated complement C1q-like protein 3; C1q-LP3) was upregulated over 20-fold while only modestly upregulated, 1.8-fold, in the resistant line. Differential expression between lines following infection was confirmed by both an ELISA and a rapid Spatial Proximity Analyte Reagent Capture Luminescence (SPARCL) assay. These assays detected elevated C1q-LP3 in Atlantic salmon plasma following experimental challenge. In summary, this dataset furthers the understanding of the differential host response to Fp and identifies a novel salmonid biomarker of disease susceptibility.