Zebrafish liver (ZFL) cells are able to mount an anti-viral response after stimulation with Poly (I:C).

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a widely used model species for biomedical research and is also starting to be a model for aquaculture research. The ZFL cell line, established from zebrafish liver, has been mostly used in toxicological and ecotoxicological studies. However, no studies have previously characterised this cell line in regard to its immunological response. The aim of this work was to study the gene expression response of the ZFL cell line after incubation with different prototypical immune stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN), zymosan, and with a special focus on the dsRNA Poly (I:C). Using PCR, microarrays, and confocal microscopy we have explored the response of the ZFL cells against Poly (I:C). This study shows that the ZFL is able to uptake very efficiently the Poly (I:C) and mount a strong anti-viral response. We can conclude that ZFL could be used not only in toxicological studies, but also in studying anti-viral responses in zebrafish.