title: Nutritional status and gene expression along the somatotropic axis in roach (Rutilus rutilus) infected with the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis.
abstract: The tapeworm Ligula intestinalis inhibits gametogenesis of its fish host, the roach (Rutilus rutilus). We investigated whether L. intestinalis infection makes significant demands on nutritional resources and consequently manipulates the endocrine somatotropic axis of roach. Two groups of naturally infected and uninfected roach were studied: a field group (natural feeding) and a laboratory group (ad libitum food supply). In females, no significant impact of parasitization on storage substrates (glycogen, lipids, and protein) was detected, whereas in males, either lipid content of the liver (field group) or lipid of the muscle and glycogen of the liver (laboratory group) were slightly decreased. Except for the females of the field group, higher mRNA expression of growth hormone (gh) in the pituitary of infected fish was observed. Furthermore, the expression of hypophyseal somatolactin α and β (slα, slβ) was up-regulated in infected females of the field and laboratory group, respectively. In liver and muscle, mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factors (igf1, igf2) and igf receptor (igfr) remained either unchanged or were up-regulated with infection. Parasitization showed inconsistent effects on gh receptor 1 (ghr1) expression in liver and muscle, whereas ghr2 mRNA was mostly not influenced by infection. In general, the expression profile of genes involved in the somatotropic axis as well as the content of storage substances in infected roach did not resemble that of food-deprived fish either under natural or ad libitum feeding. In conclusion, the present study does not indicate starvation of L. intestinalis infected roach, and it is suggested that the inhibition of reproduction attenuated the nutritional demand of parasitization.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic. kroupova@frov.jcu.cz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kroupova
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trubiroha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wuertz
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sures
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kloas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002589:Cestoda / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013002:Somatomedins; D013006:Growth Hormone