title: Analysis of the immune response in infections of the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) with Mycobacterium marinum.
abstract: The rapid doubling time and genetic relatedness of the fish pathogen Mycobacterium marinum to Mycobacterium tuberculosis has rendered the former an attractive model for investigating mycobacterial host-pathogen interactions. We employed the M. marinum-goldfish infection model to investigate the in vivo immune responses to this pathogen in the context of a natural host. Histological analysis revealed mycobacterial infiltrates in goldfish kidney and spleen tissues, peaking 28 days post infections (dpi). Quantitative gene expression analysis showed significant increases of mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, IL-12p40, IL-1β1) and cytokine receptors (IFNGR1-1, TNFR2) at 7 dpi. Conversely, the gene expression levels of key anti-inflammatory cytokines TGFβ and IL-10 were elevated at 14 dpi. Furthermore, M. marinum infections markedly increased the cytokine-primed oxidative burst responses of isolated kidney phagocytes at 7 but not 56 dpi. We believe that the M. marinum-goldfish infection model will be invaluable in furthering the understanding of the mycobacterium host-pathogen interface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Jordan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hodgkinson
authors.forename: Jun-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grayfer
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.forename: Miodrag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belosevic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006054:Goldfish / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 / Q000235:genetics; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D019910:Mycobacterium marinum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000235:genetics; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000235:genetics; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016753:Interleukin-10; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor