Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, 53100 Florina, Greece.
Cells. 2021 Oct 22;10(11):2838. doi: 10.3390/cells10112838.
Due to the rapid decrease of populations during the previous decades, this bivalve species, endemic in the Mediterranean Sea, is characterized as 'critically endangered'. In addition to human pressures, various pathogen infections have resulted in extended reduction, even population extinction. While is characterized as one of the major causative agents, mass mortalities have also been attributed to sp. and spp. Due to limited knowledge concerning the physiological response of infected specimens against various pathogens, this study's aim was to investigate to pathophysiological response of individuals, originating from mortality events in the Thermaikos Gulf and Lesvos and Limnos islands (Greece), and their correlation to different potential pathogens detected in the diseased animals. In isolated tissues, several cellular stress indicators of the heat shock and immune response, apoptosis and autophagy, were examined. Despite the complexity and limitations in the study of mortality events, the present investigation demonstrates the cumulative negative effect of co-infection additionally with in comparison to the non-presence of haplosporidian parasite. In addition, impacts of global climate change affecting physiological performance and immune responses result in more vulnerable populations in infectious diseases, a phenomenon which may intensify in the future.
由于在过去几十年中种群数量迅速减少，这种在地中海特有的双壳类物种被列为“极度濒危”。除了人类的压力外，各种病原体感染也导致了种群数量的减少，甚至灭绝。虽然被认为是主要病原体之一，但大规模死亡也归因于 sp. 和 spp. 由于对受感染标本对各种病原体的生理反应知之甚少，本研究旨在调查来自希腊Thermaikos 海湾和 Lesvos 和 Limnos 岛（希腊）的死亡事件的个体的病理生理反应，并将其与在患病动物中检测到的不同潜在病原体进行相关性分析。在分离的组织中，研究了热休克和免疫反应、细胞凋亡和自噬等几种细胞应激指标。尽管对死亡事件的研究具有复杂性和局限性，但本研究表明，与未感染哈孢菌寄生虫相比，合并感染的累积负面影响更为明显。此外，全球气候变化对生理性能和免疫反应的影响导致了在传染病中更为脆弱的种群，这种现象在未来可能会加剧。
