Fish red blood cells aid the fight against viral infections Viral diseases are a major concern to the aquaculture sector, as they threaten the health of fish and cause significant economic losses. We spoke to Dr Maria del Mar Ortega-Villaizan about her research into how rainbow trout, and specifically its red blood cells (RBCs), respond to viral infections, work which holds important implications for the aquaculture sector. A number of
recent research papers by Dr Maria del Mar Ortega-Villaizan’s group at Miguel Hernández University have suggested that nucleated RBCs play a wider role in the immune system of fish than previously thought. As the Principal Investigator of the BloodCellsCrosstalk project (funded with an ERC Starting Grant), Dr OrtegaVillaizan’s research sheds new light on how RBCs (or erythrocytes) contribute to fighting viral infections. “We are looking at viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) in particular. VHSV and IPNV are important
has been combined with in vivo research on fish from the aquaculture sector. “We are working with fish from a company that grows rainbow trout,” explains Dr Ortega-Villaizan. Researchers have used a variety of techniques, including transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, to look at the involvement of RBCs in the antiviral response. “We have identified mechanisms involving RBCs that could halt the viral infection. We have identified proteins that are involved in these mechanisms,” says Dr Ortega-Villaizan. “We have found targets within the project and have selected several antiviral proteins. We are investigating how
We are looking at viral
infections because they cause high economic losses in aquaculture, as there are no effective therapeutics or prophylactics against them. pathogens, because they cause high economic losses in aquaculture,” she outlines. VHSV and IPNV have been used as a working model in Dr Ortega-Villaizan’s lab for several years, now she and her colleagues are using it to explore how rainbow trout RBCs respond to viral infection. “After infection the RBCs produce cytokines that stimulate other blood immune cells to respond against the virus, as well as produce antiviral molecules,” she says. The aim in the project has been to investigate the role of RBCs and the communication between RBCs and other immune cells during infection, using co-cultures developed in Dr Ortega-Villaizan’s lab. This in vitro work
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they can be used in treatment, for example by increasing production of these antiviral proteins to help improve protection.” This research holds important implications for the aquaculture sector, which is heavily affected by diseases like VHSV and IPNV. By finding novel immunomodulants and antiviral targets, Dr Ortega-Villaizan and her colleagues hope to help reduce the economic losses caused by viral infections in the aquaculture sector and to lay the foundations for a more sustainable and profitable future. “The idea is to strengthen the internal mechanisms within rainbow trout and prevent the development of the infection,”
she outlines. The main focus of interest in the project at this stage is rainbow trout, but viral infections are a major concern across the aquaculture sector, so there is a lot of interest in strengthening the immune system in fish more widely. “Researchers in other labs are also studying the immune system of different fish species” says Dr Ortega-Villaizan.
BLOODCELLSCROSSTALK The Crosstalk Between Red And White Blood Cells: The Case Of Fish
Funded by the European Research Council ERC Maria del Mar Ortega-Villaizan Institute of Research, Development, and Innovation in Healthcare Biotechnology in Elche (IDiBE) Avinguda de la Universitat d’Elx, s/n, 03202 Elche, T: +34 9 6665 8431 E: mortega-villaizan@umh.es W: https://idibe.es/research/ red-blood-cells-antiviralimmunology/ Dr Maria del Mar Ortega-Villaizan is an Assistant Professor in the department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the University Miguel Hernandez.
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