Expression, tissue localization and synergy of antimicrobial peptides and proteins in the immune response of the oyster Crassostrea gigas

• Published in: Developmental & Comparative Immunology
• Main Authors: Schmitt, Paulina, de Lorgeril, Julien, Gueguen, Yannick, Destoumieux-Garzon, Delphine, Bachere, Evelyne
• Other Authors: Unité Biologie des Organismes Marins Exploités (BOME), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Ecosystèmes Insulaires Océaniens (UMR 241) (EIO), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de la Polynésie Française (UPF)-Institut Louis Malardé Papeete (ILM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04499243; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2012.01.004

Diverse families of antimicrobial peptides and proteins have been described in oysters. We investigated here how antimicrobials are involved in the immune response against a pathogenic strain of Vibrio splendidus. Oyster antimicrobials were shown to display a wide variety of expression profiles in hemocyte populations and tissues. Oyster defensins are constitutively expressed in specific tissues such as mantle (Cg-Defm) or hemocytes (Cg-Defhs), while Cg-BPI is inducible and Cg-Prp appears down-regulated in hemocytes upon infection. The migratory behavior of hemocytes that express the different antimicrobials was found to be involved in the oyster response to a pathogenic Vibrio infection. Indeed, it contributes to colocalize several antimicrobials that were shown here to have synergistic activities. We propose that such a synergy, which was evidenced both within and between families of antimicrobials, might compensate for the low concentration of antimicrobials in oyster tissues. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.