Suppression substractive hybridisation (SSH) and real time PCR reveal differential gene expression in the Pacific cupped oyster, Crassostrea gigas, challenged with Ostreid herpesvirus 1.

Virus-induced genes were identified using suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) from Pacific cupped oyster, Crassostrea gigas, haemocytes challenged by OsHV-1. A total of 304 clones from SSH forward library were sequenced. Among these sequences, some homologues corresponded to (i) immune related genes (macrophage express protein, IK cytokine, interferon-induced protein 44 or multicopper oxidase), (ii) apoptosis related genes (Bcl-2) and (iii) cell signalling and virus receptor genes (glypican). Molecular characterization and phylogenic analysis of 3 immune-related genes (macrophage expressed protein, multicopper oxidase and immunoglobulin domain cell adhesion molecule) were performed. Finally, quantitative PCR revealed significant changes in the expression of immune related genes (multicopper oxidase, macrophage expressed protein, myeloid differentiation factor 88 and interferon-induced protein 44) in oysters experimentally challenged with OsHV-1. These findings provide a first basis for studying the role of innate immunity in response to viruses in bivalves and identified genes may serve as markers of interest in breeding programs in order to obtain selected oysters presenting OsHV-1 resistance.