Immunization of lambari (Astyanax altiparanae) with a DNA vaccine containing the immobilization antigen IAG52A from Ichthyophthirius multifiliis with the cytokine IL-8 from A. altiparanae as molecular adjuvant

• Grant number: 17/18562-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: April 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Augusto Mendes Maia
• Grantee: Mateus Maldonado Carriero
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The ciliate protozoa Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in an obligate parasite responsible for causing the "white spot disease" or "ichthyophthiriasis" on practically any species of fresh water fish, being responsible for important losses for both national and global fishery industry. The lambari is a small characiform species found in rivers across the South American neotropical region. It has increasingly been explored by the aquaculture industry due to its potential as snack, canned food and fishing bait, as well as being a good model species for laboratory studies, given it simple to breed, presents early sexual maturation and show high growth rates. However, all this potential is held back by the lack of alternatives for the treatment of diseases the affect this fish, especially the ichthyophthiriasis. Currently, there are no effective treatments for the control of this parasite in large scale productions, what makes the development of preventive strategies extremely necessary. Therefore, the aim of the present project is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of immunization of A. altiparanae with the immobilization antigen IAG52A from I. multifiliis using the cytokine IL-8 from A. altiparanae as molecular adjuvant, in the form DNA vaccines. In the first phase of the project, all genes needed will be characterized by sequencing and the sequences will then be used for the production of the DNA vaccines. On the immunized fish, the expression of the exogenous genes will be assessed on the muscle near the injection site, and IgM antibodies quantification on the blood, as well the expression of the inflammatory cytokines TNF, INF, IL-1, IL-8 e IL-10 in the spleen and head kidney will be performed. Finally, these fish will be challenged with a lethal dose of live I. multifiliis teronts to evaluate the protective effects of the vaccines by means of mortality and morbidity analyses. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARRIERO, MATEUS MALDONADO; HENRIQUE-SILVA, FLAVIO; MEIRA, CAROLINE MUNHOZ; QUEIROZ GATO, IGOR MATEUS; CAETANO, ALEXANDRE RODRIGUES; LOBO, FRANCISCO PEREIRA; ALVES, ANDERSON LUIS; VARELA, EDUARDO SOUSA; MENDES MAIA, ANTONIO AUGUSTO. Molecular characterization and gene expression analysis of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1 beta and IL-8 in the South American fish Piaractus mesopotamicus challenged with Aeromonas dhakensis. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 43, n. 4, 2020. (17/26996-6, 17/18562-6)

NALDONI, JULIANA; CARRIERO, MATEUS M.; MOREIRA, GABRIEL S. A.; DA SILVA, MARCIA R. M.; MAIA, ANTONIO A. M.; ADRIANO, EDSON A.. Increasing the known biodiversity of cnidarian parasites of bryconid fishes from South America: two novelMyxobolusspecies with ultrastructure and ssrDNA-based phylogeny. Parasitology Research, v. 119, n. 11, AUG 2020. (14/22700-7, 17/18562-6, 13/16738-9)