Plasma Proteome Responses in Salmonid Fish Following Immunization.

Vaccination plays a critical role in the protection of humans and other animals from infectious diseases. However, the same vaccine often confers different protection levels among individuals due to variation in genetics and/or immunological histories. While this represents a well-recognized issue in humans, it has received little attention in fish.

The AMPK system of salmonid fishes was expanded through genome duplication and is regulated by growth and immune status in muscle.

5'adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master regulator of energy homeostasis in eukaryotes. This study identified expansions in the AMPK-α, -β and -γ families of salmonid fishes due to a history of genome duplication events, including five novel salmonid-specific AMPK subunit gene paralogue pairs. We tested the hypothesis that the expanded AMPK gene system of salmonids is transcriptionally regulated by growth and immunological status.

High-throughput proteomic profiling of the fish liver following bacterial infection.

Background: High-throughput proteomics was used to determine the role of the fish liver in defense responses to bacterial infection. This was done using a rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) model following infection with Aeromonas salmonicida, the causative agent of furunculosis. The vertebrate liver has multifaceted functions in innate immunity, metabolism, and growth; we hypothesize this tissue serves a dual role in supporting host defense in parallel to metabolic adjustments that promote effective immune function.

Proteomic comparison of selective breeding and growth hormone transgenesis in fish: Unique pathways to enhanced growth.

In fish used for food production and scientific research, fast growth can be achieved via selective breeding or induced instantaneously via growth hormone (GH) transgenesis (GHT). The proteomic basis for these distinct routes towards a similar higher phenotype remains uncharacterized, as are associated implications for health parameters. We addressed this knowledge gap using skeletal muscle proteomics in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), hypothesising that i) selective breeding and GHT are underpinned by both parallel and unique changes in growth systems, and ii) rapidly-growing fish strains have lowered scope to allocate resources towards immune function.