Estêvão João, Osorio Hugo, Costas Benjamin, Cruz Andreia, Fernández-Boo Sergio
Animal Health and Aquaculture (A2S), CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Ipatimup-Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2023 Mar;134:108566. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.108566. Epub 2023 Feb 2.
The grooved carpet shell (Ruditapes decussatus) is a clam species with high economic and social importance in several European and Mediterranean countries. Production of this species suffered a decline caused by biotic (parasite infection) and abiotic factors (environmental factors, stress, poor management methods and intensive culture of the introduced species Ruditapes philippinarum). The protozoan parasite Perkinsus olseni is also responsible for the decline of production, being nowadays one of the major issues for clam culture. Molecular biomarkers that might represent tolerance of R. decussatus to P. olseni have already been uncovered, shedding light in a possible production improvement by selecting those clams with a strongest immune response. In the present study, new tolerance biomarkers to P. olseni infection in R. decussatus were identified. The haemolymph proteomic profiles of naturally non/low-infected (tolerant) and highly-infected (susceptible) clams by the parasite across several heavy affected areas of Europe were characterized through a shotgun proteomics approach. Also, the mechanisms that might be involved in the responses against the disease in chronic infections were explored. Proteins related to energy restoration and balance, metabolic regulation, energy accumulation, ROS production, lysosomal activity, amino acid synthesis, proteolytic activity, iron regulation, iron withholding, and immune response modulation were significantly regulated in susceptible clams. In the tolerant group, proteins related to phagocytosis regulation, control of cell growth and proliferation, gonadal maturation, regulation of apoptosis, growth modulation, response to oxidative stress, iron regulation, shell development and metabolic regulation were significantly expressed. In summary, the protein expression profile of tolerant individuals suggests that an efficient pathogen elimination mechanism coupled to a better metabolic regulation leads to a tolerance to the parasite infection by limiting the spread through the tissues.
细纹蚶（Ruditapes decussatus）是一种在欧洲和地中海的多个国家具有高度经济和社会重要性的蛤类物种。该物种的产量因生物因素（寄生虫感染）和非生物因素（环境因素、压力、不良管理方法以及引进物种菲律宾蛤仔的高密度养殖）而下降。原生动物寄生虫奥尔森派琴虫（Perkinsus olseni）也是产量下降的原因之一，如今它是蛤类养殖的主要问题之一。可能代表细纹蚶对奥尔森派琴虫耐受性的分子生物标志物已经被发现，这为通过选择免疫反应最强的蛤类来提高产量提供了线索。在本研究中，确定了细纹蚶对奥尔森派琴虫感染的新耐受性生物标志物。通过鸟枪法蛋白质组学方法，对欧洲几个严重受灾地区自然未感染/低感染（耐受性）和高感染（易感性）蛤类的血淋巴蛋白质组图谱进行了表征。此外，还探索了慢性感染中可能参与抗病反应的机制。在易感性蛤类中，与能量恢复和平衡、代谢调节、能量积累、活性氧产生、溶酶体活性、氨基酸合成、蛋白水解活性、铁调节、铁保留和免疫反应调节相关的蛋白质受到显著调节。在耐受性组中，与吞噬作用调节、细胞生长和增殖控制、性腺成熟、细胞凋亡调节、生长调节、氧化应激反应、铁调节、贝壳发育和代谢调节相关的蛋白质显著表达。总之，耐受性个体的蛋白质表达谱表明，一种有效的病原体清除机制与更好的代谢调节相结合，通过限制病原体在组织中的传播，导致对寄生虫感染具有耐受性。
