Cadmium effects on Ichthyophthirius: evidence for metal-sequestration in fish tissues following administration of recombinant vaccines.
We are developing Tetrahymena thermophila as a delivery system for recombinant vaccines against parasitic protozoa, including the common fish parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. T. thermophila cell lines expressing I. multifiliis genes under the control of a cadmium-inducible metallothionein gene promoter conferred strong protection against a lethal parasite challenge when administered parenterally to naive fish. Nevertheless, given that heavy metals can be toxic to parasites, a question arose as to whether protection resulted from Cd residues carried over with the vaccine, rather than acquired immunity per se. To address this issue, we examined the sensitivity of I. multifiliis to Cd in vitro and determined Cd concentrations in different host tissues following i.p. injection of juvenile channel catfish with the recombinant vaccine. We found that CdCl2 at concentrations > or = 50 ppb were lethal to I. multifiliis theronts in vitro. Furthermore, Cd concentrations were clearly elevated in fish tissues and reached levels equivalent to 74 ng/g wet weight (74 ppb) in the skin within 14 days of injection with recombinant T. thermophila. Nevertheless, fish injected with non-transformed Tetrahymena grown in the presence or absence of CdCl2 showed no significant difference in either relative survival or parasite load following direct challenge with I. multifiliis.
Bisharyan
Y
Y
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Chen
Q
Q
Hossain
M M
MM
Papoyan
A
A
Clark
T G
TG
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016770:Ciliophora Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007059:Ictaluridae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D016808:Tetrahymena thermophila / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage
D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D002104:Cadmium