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HAVBRUKS-Havbruk - en næring i vekst

FRANCISELLA SP. INFECTION IN ATLANTIC COD (Gadus morhua) - STUDY OF PATHOGEN AND HOST IMMUNE CELLS INTERACTIONS

Awarded: NOK 2.4 mill.

Project Number:

178864

Application Type:

Project Period:

2007 - 2011

Location:

A new bacterial disease affecting cultured cod has been causing serious and increasing number of disease outbreaks at Norwegian sea cage facilities since summer of 2004. This bacterium has recently been identified as Francisella sp., a fastidious facultat ive intracellular pathogen. The proposed study entails investigating the pathogen-host interactions between Francisella sp. and cod with emphasis on the innate cellular immunity. Neutrophils and macrophages are two highly important cell types representi ng the first line of host defence against invasive pathogens contributing extensively with numerous functions to both innate immunity and induction of the adaptive immunity. Similar to the numerous studies covering other pathogenic Francisella species in a large number of vertebrate hosts, the Francisella sp. from cod also uses myeloid/phagocytic cells for residence and apparently proliferation. The overall study objective is to investigate the mechanisms by which the Francisella sp. debilitates important defence strategies of cod neutrophils and macrophages and to examine whether these defence strategies can be restored and enhanced by use of TLR-agonists. The project proposed herein represents an important contribution of knowledge that will be required for rational design and development of prophylactic disease control strategies for Francisella sp. in cultured cod.

Funding scheme:

HAVBRUKS-Havbruk - en næring i vekst