title: Antimicrobial response is increased in the testis of European sea bass, but not in gilthead seabream, upon nodavirus infection.
abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have a crucial role in the fish innate immune response, being considered a fundamental component of the first line of defence against pathogens. Moreover, AMPs have not been studied in the fish gonad since this is used by some pathogens as a vehicle or a reservoir to be transmitted to the progeny, as occurs with nodavirus (VNNV), which shows vertical transmission through the gonad and/or gonadal fluids, but no study has looked into the gonad of infected fish. In this framework, we have characterized the antimicrobial response triggered by VNNV in the testis of European sea bass, a very susceptible species of the virus, and in the gilthead seabream, which acts as a reservoir, both in vivo and in vitro, and compared with that present in the serum and brain (target tissue of VNNV). First, our data show a great antiviral response in the brain of gilthead seabream and in the gonad of European sea bass. In addition, for the first time, our results demonstrate that the antimicrobial activities (complement, lysozyme and bactericidal) and the expression of AMP genes such as complement factor 3 (c3), lysozyme (lyz), hepcidin (hamp), dicentracin (dic), piscidin (pis) or β-defensin (bdef) in the gonad of both species are very different, but generally activated in the European sea bass, probably related with the differences of susceptibility upon VNNV infection, and even differs to the brain response. Furthermore, the in vitro data suggest that some AMPs are locally regulated playing a local immune response in the gonad, while others are more dependent of the systemic immune system. Data are discussed in the light to ascertain their potential role in viral clearance by the gonad to avoid vertical transmission.
authors.affiliation: Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Carretera de la Azohía s/n. Puerto de Mazarrón, 30860 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Yulema
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.affiliation: Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Carretera de la Azohía s/n. Puerto de Mazarrón, 30860 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Alcázar
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: M Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.affiliation: Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Carretera de la Azohía s/n. Puerto de Mazarrón, 30860 Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: elena.chaves@mu.ieo.es.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chaves-Pozo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001492:Bass / Q000276:immunology*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000235:genetics; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008297:Male; D009113:Muramidase / Q000235:genetics; D030381:Nodaviridae; D012327:RNA Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000276:immunology; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014733:Vibrio / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D003176:Complement C3; D029941:Fish Proteins; D009113:Muramidase
keywords: Antimicrobial peptides; Fish; Gonad; Nodavirus; Sea bass