A genetic role for macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in Epinephelus awoara infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Abstract

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine in immuno-inflammatory diseases. For the first time, we examined the expression of MIF in Epinephelus awoara (E. awoara). MIF expressions have been detected in the head kidney, spleen, liver, brain, intestine, gill, heart, stomach, and muscle of E. awoara infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The mRNA levels observed in infected groupers were higher than those in healthy groupers. MIF, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1 (IL-1) tissue levels have been measured by ELISA. A significant increase in MIF, TNF-α, and IL-1 tissue levels have been found in the treatment groups compared with those in controls. MIF, TNF-α and IL-1 tissue levels in the spleen, head kidney, intestine, and liver of E. awoara during the challenge trial with V. parahaemolyticus were significantly higher than those in controls. There was evidence of functions of MIF in a positive feedback loop with TNF-α and IL-1 that could perpetuate the inflammatory process in grouper infected with V. parahaemolyticus. In conclusion, these results indicated that MIF was related to pathogen-induced immune response.

Genetic Structure and Demographic History of Yellow Grouper (Epinephelus awoara) from the Coast of Southeastern Mainland China, Inferred by Mitochondrial, Nuclear and Microsatellite DNA Markers

“…Although the number of E. awoara caught in the south of the Taiwan Strait of China has recovered significantly in recent years, its geographical distribution has gradually retreated southward, and it has been difficult to find in the coastal areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces in mainland China [32]. Previous studies on E. awoara have mainly focused on aquaculture, bait diseases, physiology and biochemistry, including the growth, nitrogen excretion and energy budget of juvenile E. awoara under different starvation levels [33]; the microbial community in the gastrointestinal tract [34]; and the genetic role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in vibrio parahaemolyticus infection of E. awoara [35]. However, the genetic diversity, genetic structure and other germplasm resources of the E. awoara population have rarely been investigated.…”

New Insights into the Role and Mechanism of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Epinephelus awoara Infected with Vibrio alginolyticus

“…Total RNA from the frozen head kidney, spleen, liver, brain, intestine, gill, heart, stomach and muscle tissues was extracted using TRIzol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) (Xu et al, 2016). First-strand of cDNA was isolated with a synthesis kit.…”

“…We reported that MIF levels were higher in tissues of E. awoara infected with V. alginolyticus than those in controls. MIFmRNA levels of the examined tissues have been detected by qPCR analysis in other teleo steans (Xu et al, 2016;Xu et al, 2019) and mammals (Poulsen et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2021). MIF levels of the tissues in infected with Edwardsiella tarda groups were significantly lower than those from fishes in the untreated infected groups.…”