Potential Response to Selection of HSP70 as a Component of Innate Immunity in the Abalone Haliotis rufescens.

Assessing components of the immune system may reflect disease resistance. In some invertebrates, heat shock proteins (HSPs) are immune effectors and have been described as potent activators of the innate immune response. Several diseases have become a threat to abalone farming worldwide; therefore, increasing disease resistance is considered to be a long-term goal for breeding programs.

Physiological performance of juvenile Haliotis rufescens and Haliotis discus hannai abalone exposed to the withering syndrome agent.

Withering syndrome (WS) is a serious chronic disease caused by infection with the bacterium Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, a Rickettsiales-like organism (WS-RLO) that affects multiple abalone species in both natural and farmed populations. However, there is no available information regarding the effects of this disease on the physiological performance of infected abalone. We studied the effect of different levels of infection on components of energy balance and physiological indices (rates of absorption and assimilation, O/N ratio, and scope for growth) in the abalone species Haliotis rufescens and Haliotis discus hannai.