- 1. CHARACTERIZING DISEASE RESISTANCE IN NATIVE OYSTERSThat Have
Experienced Disease Pressure Roxanna Smolowitz, Steven Roberts,
Jackie DeFaveri Christina Romano, Rick Karney
2. Oyster Disease
- Oyster disease is a significant issue
-
- Dermo ( Perkinsus marinus )
-
- MSX ( Haplosporidium nelsoni )
- Disease tolerance / resistance strains of oysters have been
developed ( i.e. Rutgers )
- In times of massive disease outbreaks, a limited number of
oysters commonly survive
3. Research Objectives
- Demonstrate seed originating from local wild oysters, that have
experienced heavy disease (Dermo) pressure, could significantly
contribute to the development of disease resistance
- Genetically characterize regional oysters that are putatively
resistant to Dermo
-
- better understand mechanisms involved in immunity
4. Oysters that had experienced disease pressure Oysters that
had not experienced disease pressure (nave) Spawn Spawn
Experimental Design 5. Oysters (~4000 from each group) were grown
in a Dermo prone site- Edgartown Great Pond July 2005 - Present 6.
overwintered on bottom Temperature Data 7. Mortality Nave oysters
Survivors ofDiseasePressure 8. Survivors of Dermo pressure
[Edgartown GP] Naive [Tisbury] 9. DERMO Perkinsus marinus Survivors
of Dermo pressure [Edgartown GP] Naive [Tisbury] 10. Research
Objectives
- Demonstrate seed originating from local wild oysters, that have
experienced heavy disease (Dermo) pressure, could significantly
contribute to the development of disease resistance
- Genetically characterize regional oysters that are putatively
resistant to Dermo
-
- better understand mechanisms involved in immunity
11. Photo: Gary H. Wikfors: Northeast Fisheries Science
Center,NOAA Fisheries Milford Laboratory, Milford, CT Immune
Response in Oysters 12. What are the biochemical orgene
productsproduced by hemocytes? 13. Approach: Genetic
Characterization
- Extract RNA from hemocyte rich tissue- gills (n=10)
- Perform qRT-PCR for genes suspected to play a role in immune
response
- Normalize expression data to 18s RNA levels
14. CIAPIN Expression cytokine induced apoptosis inhibitor 1
Survivors of Dermo pressure [Edgartown GP] Naive [Tisbury]
Apoptosis (programmed cell death) regulationis likely involved in
disease resistance 15. Survivors of Dermo pressure [Edgartown GP]
Naive [Tisbury] Cathepsin L Expression Cathepsins are a family of
proteasesProteases and protease inhibitors have been shown to play
critical roles in immunity and host-parasite interactions.One
possibility is Cathepsin L is involved inP. marinusdefense
activity. 16. For more information. 17. Conclusions
- Seed originating from local wild oysters, that have experienced
heavy disease (Dermo) pressure, could significantly contribute to
the development of disease resistance in cultured oysters.
- Our initial gene expression data indicates that there are
differences in immune response, however more work is required to
elucidate the complex processes involved.