University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, 1140 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
J Comp Physiol B. 2012 Jan;182(1):41-8. doi: 10.1007/s00360-011-0605-z. Epub 2011 Aug 19.
Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, naturally infected with the parasite Perkinsus marinus were subjected to a mechanical stress by centrifugation, and immune parameters, pathological conditions, and gene expression of selected transcripts were compared to uninfected controls. Immune parameters were assessed by flow cytometry, pathology and parasites by histotechnology and fluid thioglycollate assays, and gene expression by quantitative RT-PCR. Irrespective of mechanical stress, an increased number of hemocytes were observed in P. marinus-infected oysters that corresponded to increased expression of genes that have been shown to be involved in inflammation and apoptosis, two processes associated with regulating immune cell populations. Mechanically stressed, diseased oysters showed histological gill abnormalities and aggregations of hemocytes in tissues not seen in stressed, uninfected oysters. Expression of a high-mobility group protein and hemocyte phagocytosis were significantly upregulated upon mechanical stress only in uninfected oysters. The results of this study demonstrate the role of inflammation in the oyster immune response including possible underlying molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of considering mechanical stressors when characterizing oyster immune function.
东方牡蛎（Crassostrea virginica）自然感染寄生虫 Perkinsus marinus 后，通过离心受到机械压力，与未感染对照组相比，比较了免疫参数、病理状况和选定转录本的基因表达。通过流式细胞术评估免疫参数，通过组织学和液体巯基醋酸盐检测评估病理学和寄生虫，通过定量 RT-PCR 评估基因表达。无论是否受到机械压力，感染 P. marinus 的牡蛎中观察到的血细胞数量增加，这与已证明与炎症和细胞凋亡两种与调节免疫细胞群体相关的过程有关的基因表达增加相对应。机械压力下患病的牡蛎显示出组织学鳃异常和组织中血细胞聚集，而在受压力但未感染的牡蛎中未观察到这种情况。仅在未感染的牡蛎中，高迁移率族蛋白的表达和血细胞吞噬作用在机械压力下显著上调。本研究结果表明炎症在牡蛎免疫反应中的作用，包括可能的潜在分子机制。此外，本研究强调了在描述牡蛎免疫功能时考虑机械应激因素的重要性。
