Isolation of a novel fish thymidylate kinase gene, upregulated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) following infection with the monogenean parasite Gyrodactylus salaris.

Analysis of differential gene expression in salmon (Salmo salar) blood following infection with the monogenean parasite Gyrodactylus salaris, resulted in the isolation of a thymidylate kinase gene not previously described from fish and which showed similarity to an LPS-inducible thymidylate kinase gene isolated from mouse macrophages. This salmon TYKi-like gene may play a role in an innate generalised response to pathogen infection as it was upregulated in salmon following infection with the parasite, and also in response to injection with the immunostimulants LPS and Poly I:C, used to emulate bacterial and viral infections, respectively. The possible role of this gene in the biosynthesis of mitochondrial DNA in activated macrophages, in response to G. salaris infection is discussed.