PUBLICATION

Zebrafish Larvae Are Unable To Mount a Protective Antiviral Response Against Waterborne Infection by Spring Viremia of Carp Virus

Authors
López-Muñoz, A., Roca, F.J., Sepulcre, M.P., Meseguer, J., and Mulero, V.
ID
ZDB-PUB-100105-42
Date
2010
Source
Developmental and comparative immunology   34(5): 546-552 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Mulero, Victor
Keywords
Interferon, Viral infection, Fish, Evolution
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cytokines/biosynthesis
  • Cytokines/genetics
  • Fish Proteins/genetics
  • Fish Proteins/immunology
  • Fish Proteins/metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Immunity, Innate/genetics
  • Interferon Type I/genetics
  • Interferon Type I/immunology
  • Interferon Type I/metabolism*
  • Interferon-gamma/genetics
  • Interferon-gamma/immunology
  • Interferon-gamma/metabolism*
  • Larva/immunology
  • Larva/virology
  • Rhabdoviridae/immunology*
  • Rhabdoviridae/pathogenicity
  • Rhabdoviridae Infections/immunology*
  • Transgenes/genetics
  • Virulence
  • Zebrafish*/growth & development
  • Zebrafish*/immunology
PubMed
20045026 Full text @ Dev. Comp. Immunol.
Abstract
Interferons (IFNs) and their receptors exist in all classes of vertebrates, where they represent early elements in innate and adaptive immunity. Both types I and II IFNs have been discovered in fish and type I IFN has recently been classified into two groups based on their primary protein sequences and biological activities. Thus, although group I and II zebrafish IFN show powerful antiviral activities, only group I (IFNvarphi1) is able to protect the fish against bacterial infection. In addition, group II IFNs (IFNvarphi2 and IFNvarphi3) induce a rapid and transient expression of antiviral genes, while group I IFN exerts a slow but more powerful induction of several antiviral and pro-inflammatory genes. To gain further insight into the IFN system of fish, we have developed a waterborne infection model of zebrafish larvae with the spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV). Larvae were challenged 3 days post-fertilization by immersion, which considerably reduces the manipulation of fish and represents a more natural route of infection. Using this infection model, we unexpectedly found an inability on the part of zebrafish larvae to mount a protecting antiviral response to waterborne SVCV. Nevertheless, zebrafish larvae showed a functional antiviral system since ectopic expression of the cDNA of both groups I and II IFN was able to protect them against SVCV via the induction of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Interestingly, group II IFNs also induced group I IFN, suggesting crosstalk between these two kinds of antiviral IFN. These results further confirm the antiviral activities of type I IFN in the zebrafish and provide the first viral infection model for zebrafish larvae using a natural route of infection. This model, in combination with the powerful gene overexpression and morpholino-mediated knockdown techniques, will help to illuminate the IFN system of teleost fish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping