Refined analytical pipeline for the pharmacodynamic assessment of T-cell responses to vaccine antigens.

Pharmacodynamic assessment of T-cell-based cancer immunotherapies often focus on detecting rare circulating T-cell populations. The therapy-induced immune cells in blood-derived clinical samples are often present in very low frequencies and with the currently available T-cell analytical assays, amplification of the cells of interest prior to analysis is often required. Current approaches aiming to enrich antigen-specific T cells from human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) depend on culturing in presence of their cognate peptides and cytokines.

Neuronal Coordinates Autophagy Induction and Physiological Adaptations to Balance mTORC1 Signalling.

The mTORC1 nutrient-sensing pathway integrates metabolic and endocrine signals into the brain to evoke physiological responses to food deprivation, such as autophagy. Nevertheless, the impact of neuronal mTORC1 activity on neuronal circuits and organismal metabolism remains obscure. Here, we show that mTORC1 inhibition acutely perturbs serotonergic neurotransmission via proteostatic alterations evoked by the autophagy inducer .

DNA based neoepitope vaccination induces tumor control in syngeneic mouse models.

Recent findings have positioned tumor mutation-derived neoepitopes as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. Cancer vaccines that deliver neoepitopes via various vaccine formulations have demonstrated promising preliminary results in patients and animal models. In the presented work, we assessed the ability of plasmid DNA to confer neoepitope immunogenicity and anti-tumor effect in two murine syngeneic cancer models.

Fish Scales Produce Cortisol upon Stimulation with ACTH.

Cortisol concentration in fish scales is a novel and reliable indicator of chronic stress. However, until now cortisol in scales has been considered to be accumulated through the circulation and it has not yet been studied whether it can be de novo produced from cells found in the scales. In the current study, scales of European sea bass, , were stimulated in-vitro with a range of concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to investigate if they can produce and release cortisol.

Metabolic scope, performance and tolerance of juvenile European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax upon acclimation to high temperatures.

European sea bass is a species of great commercial value for fisheries and aquaculture. Rising temperatures may jeopardize the performance and survival of the species across its distribution and farming range, making the investigation of its thermal responses highly relevant. In this article, the metabolic scope, performance, and tolerance of juvenile E.

Development of autogenous vaccines for farmed European seabass against Aeromonas veronii using zebrafish as a model for efficacy assessment.

Aeromonas veronii bv. sobria is an emerging pathogen for the European seabass cultured in the Aegean Sea (Mediterranean) causing significant problems in the Greek and Turkish aquaculture industry since no licensed vaccine is currently available for the disease. A bivalent vaccine was developed based on two phenotypically distinct strains of the pathogen, PDB (motile, pigment-producing strain) and NS (non-motile, non-pigment-producing).

Genomic Selection and Genome-Wide Association Analysis for Stress Response, Disease Resistance and Body Weight in European Seabass.

The majority of the genetic studies in aquaculture breeding programs focus on commercial traits such as body weight, morphology, and resistance against diseases. However, studying stress response in European seabass may contribute to the understanding of the genetic component of stress and its future use to select broodstock whose offspring may potentially be less affected by handling. A total of 865 European seabass offspring were used to measure body weight and stress response.

Knockout of the Gene Extends the Cortisol Stress Response in Both Zebrafish Larvae and Adults.

The Hsd11b2 enzyme converts cortisol into its inactive form, cortisone and regulates cortisol levels, in particular in response to stress. Taking advantage of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated a zebrafish mutant line to evaluate the involvement of this gene in stress response regulation. The absence of a functional Hsd11b2 affects survival of zebrafish, although homozygous mutants can reach adulthood.

Thermal tolerance, metabolic scope and performance of meagre, Argyrosomus regius, reared under high water temperatures.

This article reports on the thermal tolerance, metabolic capacity and performance of juvenile meagre (Argyrosomus regius) reared under three high water temperatures (24, 29 and 34 °C) for three months. The analysis includes the thermal effects on the growth performance, metabolism and physiology of meagre, including a range of molecular, haematological, metabolic, enzymatic and hormonal indicators, as well as the effects on the proximate composition and ingestion speed. Meagre performs best between 24 and 29 °C while the temperature of 34 °C is very close to the upper end of its temperature tolerance range.

A Modified Protocol for Cortisol Analysis in Zebrafish (), Individual Embryos, and Larvae.

A modified protocol for the extraction and analysis of cortisol in individual zebrafish, , embryo, and larva samples has been developed and evaluated. Recovery efficiency of the method was high, specifically calculated at 93.8% ± 6.

QTL for Stress and Disease Resistance in European Sea Bass, L.

There is a growing interest in selective breeding in European sea bass (), especially regarding family selection based on growth performance. In particular, quantitative trait loci (QTL) identification in sea bass enhances the application of marker-assisted breeding for the genetic improvement of the production traits. The aims of the study were to identify potential QTL affecting stress and immunological indicators, body weight, and mortality after vibriosis injection in sea bass as well as to estimate heritability and genetic/phenotypic correlations for the aforementioned traits.

Behavioural and physiological responses to a conditioning protocol for adult zebrafish, Danio rerio, held in groups.

The current study developed and evaluated a conditioning protocol for zebrafish which can be used in groups of fish instead of isolated individuals. The protocol consisted of the application of a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS), i.e.

Characterization of a Highly Virulent Strain Isolated From Greek Aquaculture, and a Spontaneously Induced Prophage Therein.

-associated outbreaks are increasingly reported on both marine and freshwater aquaculture setups, accounting for severe financial and biomass losses. , and have been the traditional causative agents of edwardsiellosis in aquaculture, however, intensive studies due to the significance of the disease have just recently revealed two more species, and . Whole genome sequencing that was conducted on the strain EA011113, isolated from farmed after an edwardsiellosis outbreak in Greece, confirmed it as a new clinical strain of .

Water temperature modifies the acute stress response of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L. (1758).

The effects of water temperature (15, 20 and 25 °C) on the stress response of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, were studied. Blood and water samples were collected prior and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 h post-stress for hormonal and biochemical analysis.

Allostatic Load and Stress Physiology in European Seabass ( L.) and Gilthead Seabream ( L.).

The present study aimed to compare effects of increasing chronic stress load on the stress response of European seabass () and gilthead seabream () to identify neuroendocrine functions that regulate this response. Fish were left undisturbed (controls) or exposed to three levels of chronic stress for 3 weeks and then subjected to an acute stress test (ACT). Chronic stress impeded growth and decreased feed consumption in seabass, not in seabream.

Regulation of divergent cortisol responsiveness in European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L.

Mechanisms regulating differences in cortisol responsiveness between low (LR) and high response (HR) individuals have been poorly studied. In this context, we aimed to study key regulatory processes in cortisol dynamics at the head kidneys of LR and HR European sea bass. To do so, resting plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations were quantified in these fish.

Early life stress induces long-term changes in limbic areas of a teleost fish: the role of catecholamine systems in stress coping.

Early life stress (ELS) shapes the way individuals cope with future situations. Animals use cognitive flexibility to cope with their ever-changing environment and this is mainly processed in forebrain areas. We investigated the performance of juvenile gilthead seabream, previously subjected to an ELS regime.

Acute Exposure to Fluoxetine Alters Aggressive Behavior of Zebrafish and Expression of Genes Involved in Serotonergic System Regulation.

Zebrafish, , is an emerging model organism in stress and neurobehavioral studies. In nature, the species forms shoals, yet when kept in pairs it exhibits an agonistic and anxiety-like behavior that leads to the establishment of dominant-subordinate relationships. Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is used as an anxiolytic tool to alter aggressive behavior in several vertebrates and as an antidepressant drug in humans.

Neuroendocrine regulation of the stress response in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio.

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the dynamics of the cortisol stress response and the underlying molecular regulation in adult zebrafish exposed to acute and long-term stressors that differed in nature, duration and relative intensity. Fish showed a very rapid and prolonged increase in trunk cortisol concentrations, starting at around 15min and returning to basal levels at around 2h following exposure to acute stressors. In addition, acute stress affected significantly brain mRNA expression levels of several genes (corticotropin-releasing factor, crf; pro-opiomelanocortin, pomc; glucocorticoid receptor, gr; MR/GR ratio; prolactin, prl; hypocretin/orexin, hcrt; brain-derived neurotrophic factor, bdnf; c-fos).

Husbandry of zebrafish, Danio rerio, and the cortisol stress response.

The effect of common husbandry conditions (crowding, social environment, water quality, handling, and background color) on the cortisol stress response in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio, was investigated to check the usefulness of zebrafish as a model organism in aquaculture research. In addition, a noninvasive methodology for assessing stress was evaluated. Zebrafish showed a fast cortisol response with high values at 30 min that returned to basal levels within 2 h of poststress.

Adaptive changes in zebrafish brain in dominant-subordinate behavioral context.

Male zebrafish were held in dyadic social stress situation for a period of 5 days, to characterize stress coping styles and to investigate the role of the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms in establishing dominant-subordinate relationships. A strong consistent dominant-subordinate relationship was formed in ten out of the sixteen pairs of fish (62.5%).