Mucosal surfaces in fish constitute the interface between the fish and its environment with the epithelium exchanging vital metabolic components without compromising simultaneously maintain an effective barrier to pathogen entry. Being a site of pathogen entry, the mucosa constitutes a first-line of defence, where host immune mechanisms meet pathogen strategies in a complicated and dynamic interplay. Rational study of these intricate interactions requires good experimental systems and analytical tools.

MucoPath will have a strong focus on developing experimental and analytical platforms for studying infectious interactions at the mucosal surfaces of skin, gills and gastro-intestinal tract. The project will work at stablishing a mucosal, gastro-intestinal challenge model for PRV. Practically, this work will be centered on two larger infection experiments. The second of these will also include a focus on effects of mycotoxins, through collaboration with FunTox, the second SIS project at NVI. Further, the project maintains the original plan of a third infection experiment focusing on the ectoparasite Gyrodactylus salaris. Since ectoparasites and intracellular viral pathogens currently constitute the greatest disease burden in (Norwegian) aquaculture, both these models are highly relevant.

MucoPath project will further dedicate considerable resources to the development of an attenuated Salmonid Alphavirus (SAV) strain. The approach will employ use of a specific reverse genetics methodology, and will be pursued in collaboration with Michel Bremont and Stephane Biacchesi (INRA, France). The attenuated SAV strain will constitute a highly interesting reagent with applicability in studies of both virulence and development of anti-viral immunity. In a longer perspective, the attenuated SAV could become employed as an attractive live attenuated vaccine.

To match the challenges from analysing host-pathogen interactions, whether in the common experiments or in studies of attenuated SAV strains, MucoPath will focus significantly stronger on RNA pyrosequencing and bioinformatical analysis of gene transcription profiles. Bioinformatical methodology that allows interpretation of very complicated data such as transcript profiles is crucial for ‘distilling’ the essentials of the ‘biology’ that these profiles represent. Correspondingly, recent years has brought novel scientific disciplines such as systems biology and in particular systems vaccinology. Concretely, MucoPath will apply these approaches by seeking to (partially) finance a person dedicated the referred bioinformatical disciplines. Such a strategy could materialise itself in different forms, where one particularly favourable option would be to send a candidate for a long(er) stay in the lab of a capacity in the field. As transcript profile data mainly will be produced in later stages of the project, the new bioinformatics strategy will be focused on the final part of MucoPath.

MucoPath will use the capacity for molecular detection and characterisation of novel and emerging pathogens that was established in MucoPath, though activity and funding will be reduced.  Methods underlying the pathogen discovery approach, e.g. molecular techniques and bioinformatics, will be further developed and standardised.

MucoPath will sustain the efforts to establish a platform for production of monoclonal antibodies. 

Project manager

Søren Grove

Partners

• INRA (France)