Lack of Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity in Striped Bass (<i>Morone saxatilis</i>)

<p>Mycobacteriosis is a fatal disease in fishes caused by acid-fast bacteria in the genus <em>Mycobacterium</em>. This disease impacts aquaculture, aquariums, and wild fishes. Unfortunately, there are currently no non-lethal diagnostic tests for mycobacterial infection in fishes. Type IV delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses <em>in vivo</em> and i<em>n vitro</em> are currently used for the non-lethal detection of mycobacterial infections in humans and in animals; however, there is little information available on DTH responses in fishes. In this work, we examine<em> in vivo</em> DTH response in Striped Bass (<em>Morone saxatilis</em>), an important U.S. Eastern seaboard fish species, experimentally infected with <em>Mycobacterium marinum</em> and stimulated <em>M. marinum</em> antigen. No evidence of a DTH response was observed either grossly or histologically in our studies performed on Striped Bass. Pathological changes such as inflammation, myodegeneration, myoregeneration, hemorrhage, and granulomas were observed in both control and treatment groups histologically. Since an<em> in vivo</em> DTH assay requires multiple observations of a test subject, which may be impractical for fishes, we performed preliminary steps to lay the foundation for a non-lethal<em> in vitro</em> DTH assay similar to the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay currently used in humans. This assay would quantify IFN-γ gene transcription of striped bass leukocytes in response to mycobacterial antigen exposure.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Miller, Jessica Shannon

Contributors dc:contributor

• David T. Gauthier
• Dan Barshis
• Wolfgang Vogelbein

• Delayed type hypersensitivity
• Mycobacteriosis
• Animal Diseases
• Aquaculture and Fisheries
• Biology
• Physiology

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).</p>

Identifier

9780438989580

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:biology_etds-1035