The immune system of juvenile thick‐lipped grey mullet, Chelon labrosus Risso: antibody responses to soluble protein antigens

Abstract

Juvenile thick-lipped grey mullet, Chelon lubrosus, believed to be about 6-7 months old, possessed well developed lymphoid organs including a clearly differentiated thymus with distinct cortical and medullary zones. However, unlike older fish, the juvenile mullet usually failed to produce antibody in response to a single injection of classical thymus-dependent antigen (using the soluble proteins human gamma globulin or keyhole limpet haemocyanin). Prior priming of the juvenile fish with antigen was found to potentiate antibody production following challenge with a second dose of the antigen in adjuvant, priming by oral administration being equally a s effective as priming by injection. Neither juvenile nor adult mullet produced any significant level of antibody against ovalbumin.The results suggest that, despite their apparently well differentiated lymphoid organs, juvenile mullet still show a certain level of immaturity in their antibody responses to soluble proteins; also that immunization can improve their ability to respond.

The immune response of the thick‐lipped grey mullet, Chelon labrosus (Risso, 1826), to metacercarial infections of Cryptocotyle lingua (Creplin, 1825)

“…Some fundamental aspects of immune responses of the mullet, Chelon labrosus, to injected soluble protein antigens have been studied by Mughal & Manning (1986). The aim of the present study was to investigate dynamics and mechanisms involved in the immune response of C. labrosus to C. lingua.…”

Identification of grey mullet (Teleostei: Mugilidae) juveniles from British waters

“…Graham (198 1) and Reay (1987) have also found this character to be a good one, particularly for separating L. aurata from the other two species, but it has the obvious disadvantage of only being applicable to dead fish. It is clear that many types of study, such as the use of grey mullet juveniles in experimental work (e.g., Mughal & Manning, 1986), require a simple method of species identification which can be reliably and quickly applied to living, or at least intact, specimens. Perlmutter ef al.…”

Reponse immunitaire humorale induite par le virus de la necrose pancreatique infectieuse (VNPI) chez la truite mouchetee (Salvelinus fontinalis L ) et caracterisation de l immunoglobuline produite

“…La structure du thymus inclut deux zones distinctes que l'on pourrait comparer au complexe cortex-medulla des mammifères. Cependant, il semble que chez les poissons, le tissu thymique soit moins différencié que chez les mammifères (Mughal et Manning, 1986). Les cellules lymphoïdes les plus externes du thymus ne sont séparées du milieu extérieur que par une couche de cellules représentant la capsule épithéliale.…”

“…Il semblerait que cette habileté à répondre à différents antigènes se développe de façon séquentielle (Tatner, 1986). Par contre, on note qu'une exposition trop précoce aux antigènes thymodependants peut résulter en une tolérance immunitaire ou en une suppression de la synthèse d'anticorps (Mughal et Manning, 1986). Certaines évidences démontrent que ce n'est pas l'âge mais plutôt le poids qui détermine la maturité immunitaire.…”

“…Certaines évidences démontrent que ce n'est pas l'âge mais plutôt le poids qui détermine la maturité immunitaire. On suggère également que les différentes capacités immunitaires sont fonction de l'atteinte d'un certain nombre critique de cellules immunocompétentes (Tatner, 1986;Mughal et Manning, 1986). …”