Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2
Immune Defences of Teleost Fish
Andrew Foey 1 and Simona Picchietti 2
1 School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, Plymouth University, UK
2 Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems, University of
Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
ABSTRACT
Teleost fish have a well-established innate immune response that is vital for anti-pathogen
responses in their antigen-rich environment. With the increase in scientific investiga-
tions and the availability of specific reagents, it is clear that these fish also possess
pathogen/antigen-specific adaptive responses. These responses are comparable to those of
higher organisms, responding to intracellular and extracellular resident pathogens, initiating
cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and humoral defences, respectively. This chapter reviews the
current understanding of teleost immunity, with particular emphasis on the tissues involved
in immune development (thymus, head kidney and spleen) and those under most antigenic
stimulation - the skin and mucosal surfaces. In this context, an understanding of teleost
immune defences is important for our comprehension of the health benefits conferred by
prebiotics and probiotics introduced in feed formulations.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Teleost fish exhibit a well-developed immune system; they possess a rapid and efficient innate
immune system and, in addition, display characteristics of an adaptive antigen-specific immu-
nity which would appear to have all the traits of established mammalian systems but reacts at
a much slower rate which is, in part, due to the lower local environmental temperatures. By
the nature of their habitat, fish live in an antigen-rich environment and as such their immune
systems are continually being challenged by both commensal and pathogenic organisms.
It is thus vital that these fish can either recognize beneficial microbes and induce a state
of non-responsiveness/tolerance, or activate immune anti-microbial defences to pathogens
which are predominantly led by a rapid innate immune response and ideally followed by an
antigen-specific adaptive response which will afford a more tailored response to a pathogen
 
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