title: Host prophenoloxidase expression in freshwater crayfish is linked to increased resistance to the crayfish plague fungus, Aphanomyces astaci.
abstract: The crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci) susceptible freshwater crayfish Astacus astacus and the resistant species Pacifastacus leniusculus were compared with respect to differential haemocyte count and expression of prophenoloxidase and peroxinectin. A major difference found was that resistant crayfish continuously produced high levels of prophenoloxidase (proPO) transcripts and that these levels could not be further increased, whereas in susceptible crayfish proPO transcript levels and resistance were augmented by immunostimulants. In As. astacus this could be registered as higher proPO transcript levels in the semigranular population of haemocytes and to an increased survival time after experimental infections with A. astaci.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Physiology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 A, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lage
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cerenius
authors.forename: Eakaphun
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bangyeekhun
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keyser
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Söderhäll
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Söderhäll
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003400:Astacoidea / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D005618:Fresh Water; D015870:Gene Expression; D005936:Glucans; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D009868:Oomycetes / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D005936:Glucans; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C008247:laminaran; C038451:pro-phenoloxidase; D004156:Catechol Oxidase