The overall objective is to better understand the cellular and subcellular aspects of immune responses in fish. Most of the proposed work is focused on studying the steps involved in the induction and regulation of in vitro antibody responses to TD and TI antigens with the channel catfish, a teleost fish of considerable economic importance and previously shown to have B cells, T cells and accessory cells akin to those in higher animals. Experiments are proposed to answer five important basic questions yet to be approached in any fish species. 1) Do fish have separable helper and suppressor cells which interact to regulate immune responses? 2) Is antigen processing and/or presentation necessary for fish immune responses, and if so, what cell(s) performs this function? 3) Do fish immune reponses involve the participation of a spectrum of interleukins, such as Il-1, IL-2, and BCGF(s)? 4) What are the critical early events involved in the activation of fish lymphocytes for mitogenesis and subsequent differentiation? 5) Do fish T and B cell plasma membranes exhibit different structural and functional properties? The answers to these questions will be evaluated for their reactive contributions, if any, to low temperature iommunosuppression of fish primary antibody responses to TD antigens. Completion of these proposed studies will not only provide heretofore lacking information on the comparative or phylogenetic aspects of specific immune responses but may also explain the well established but poorly understood phenomenon of low temperature immunosuppression seen in all ectothermic (cold blooded) vertebrates. Furthermore the ability to manipulate fish immune responses by physiologically relevant environmental temperature changes adds a novel dimension to studying interactions within the immune system of fish that is not feasible with the more commonly studied higher endothermic animals.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37AI019530-11
Application #
3481045
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (NSS)
Project Start
1983-07-01
Project End
1996-04-30
Budget Start
1993-05-01
Budget End
1994-04-30
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
928824473
City
Jackson
State
MS
Country
United States
Zip Code
39216
Hikima, Jun-Ichi; Lennard, Mara L; Wilson, Melanie R et al. (2006) Regulation of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus expression at the phylogenetic level of a bony fish: transcription factor interaction with two variant octamer motifs. Gene 377:119-29
Shen, Linling; Stuge, Tor B; Bengten, Eva et al. (2004) Identification and characterization of clonal NK-like cells from channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Dev Comp Immunol 28:139-52
Antao, A B; Wilson, M; Wang, J et al. (2001) Genomic organization and differential expression of channel catfish MHC class I genes. Dev Comp Immunol 25:579-95
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Khayat, M; Stuge, T B; Wilson, M et al. (2001) Thioredoxin acts as a B cell growth factor in channel catfish. J Immunol 166:2937-43
Hawke, N A; Yoder, J A; Haire, R N et al. (2001) Extraordinary variation in a diversified family of immune-type receptor genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:13832-7
Zhou, H; Stuge, T B; Miller, N W et al. (2001) Heterogeneity of channel catfish CTL with respect to target recognition and cytotoxic mechanisms employed. J Immunol 167:1325-32
Bengten, E; Wilson, M; Miller, N et al. (2000) Immunoglobulin isotypes: structure, function, and genetics. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 248:189-219
Stuge, T B; Wilson, M R; Zhou, H et al. (2000) Development and analysis of various clonal alloantigen-dependent cytotoxic cell lines from channel catfish. J Immunol 164:2971-7
Ross, D A; Lyles, M; Ledford, B E et al. (1999) Catfish Oct2 binding affinity and functional preference for octamer motifs, and interaction with OBF-1. Dev Comp Immunol 23:199-211

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