Neobenedenia melleni-Specific Antibodies Are Associated with Protection after Continuous Exposure in Mozambique Tilapia

Abstract

Neobenedenia melleni is a significant monogenean pathogen of fish in aquaculture facilities and public aquaria. Immunity after exposure to live N. melleni is well established, but the mechanisms of immunity remain unclear. In this study, tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) were continuously exposed to N. melleni over a four-month period and assessed for immunity as determined by a reduction in the number of parasites dislodged from the experimental animals during freshwater immersion. Specific mucosal and systemic antibody levels were by determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At 45 days postexposure (DPE), fish displayed high parasite loads and baseline levels of mucosal antibodies. At 102 and 120 DPE parasite loads were significantly decreased, and antibody levels were significantly increased for mucus and plasma samples. The correlation between immunity (reduction in parasite load) and an increased humoral antibody response suggests a key role of antibody in the immune response. This is the first report of immunity against N. melleni that is associated with specific mucosal or systemic antibodies.

Unveiling the effect of dietary essential oils supplementation in Sparus aurata gills and its efficiency against the infestation by Sparicotyle chrysophrii

“…Regardless of this fact, present transcriptomic data from gills at the end of the nutritional trial provided the base line knowledge for deciphering the antiparasitic role of the tested EOs. While fish immunity against monogenean parasites is certainly multifactorial and innate factors seem to dominate the first response against this parasites 111 – 113 , the participation of the mucosal adaptive factors, such as B-lymphocytes 42 , 114 , immunoglobulins 115 – 117 or even specific antibodies 118 – 120 , could be critical for longstanding parasite suppression 71 , 86 . Responses against helminth parasites also include the expression of classical effector type 2 cytokines that will signal the recruitment of inflammatory cells and induce goblet cell hyperplasia leading to mucus production 121 .…”

Kinetics of Parasite-Specific Antibody and B-Cell-Associated Gene Expression in Brown Trout, Salmo trutta during Proliferative Kidney Disease

“…Antiparasite antibodies have been reported in fish during certain parasitic infections such as Bothriocephalus acheilognathi [ 46 ], Trypanosoma sp . [ 47 ] and Neobenedenia melleni [ 48 ]. Anti- T. bryosalmonae antibodies have been detected in the sera of rainbow trout at six wpe by indirect immunofluorescence testing [ 49 ], however, this test does not provide quantitative measurement of antiparasite antibody.…”

In vivo and in vitro studies using larval and adult antigens from Neobenedenia melleni on immune response in yellowtail (Seriola lalandi)

“…; Kerber et al . ; Kishimori, Takemura & Leong ). Neobenedenia melleni infections rapidly amplify in closed systems and can reach serious pathogenic levels in susceptible species within one or two life cycles (Jahn & Kuhn ; Hirazawa et al .…”

“…An important fish infection is caused by helminth ectoparasites (monogeneans) (Liao et al 2004), especially Neobenedenia species (Ogawa et al 2006). Among them, N. melleni is a monogenean parasite that has a worldwide distribution and has been reported in various farmed fish (Kaneko et al 1988;Kerber et al 2011;Kishimori, Takemura & Leong 2015). Neobenedenia melleni infections rapidly amplify in closed systems and Correspondence C Angulo, Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biol ogicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Instituto Polit ecnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz B.C.S.…”