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Hepcidin protects grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) against Flavobacterium columnare infection via regulating
Xiaolei Wei1, V Sarath Babu2, Li Lin3
1Department of Aquatic Animal Medicines, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Waterfowl Healthy Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510225, China.
Insights
Recombinant Ctenopharyngodon idellus hepcidin (CiHep) enhances fish survival against Columnaris disease by regulating iron metabolism and boosting immune gene expression. This study highlights CiHep
Area of Science:
- Aquaculture
- Fish immunology
- Bacterial pathogenesis
Background:
- Columnaris disease (CD), caused by Flavobacterium columnare, lacks effective treatments.
- Iron is crucial for bacterial pathogens, and hepcidin regulates host iron metabolism.
- Hepcidin's role in host defense is complex and requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of Ctenopharyngodon idellus hepcidin (CiHep) against F. columnare infection.
- To explore CiHep's impact on iron metabolism and immune gene expression in fish.
Main Methods:
- In vitro assays using C. idellus kidney cells to assess hepcidin and ferritin expression.
- In vivo challenge experiments with F. columnare in C. idellus.
- Dietary administration of recombinant CiHep.
- Analysis of iron-related and immune-related gene expression.
Main Results:
- Recombinant CiHep increased hepcidin and ferritin expression in vitro.
- Recombinant CiHep significantly improved survival rates in F. columnare-challenged fish.
- CiHep regulated iron distribution, decreasing serum iron and increasing hepatopancreas iron accumulation.
- CiHep upregulated immune-related genes, particularly in fish pretreated with recombinant CiHep.
Conclusions:
- Recombinant CiHep demonstrates a protective effect against F. columnare infection in C. idellus.
- CiHep likely protects fish by modulating iron distribution and enhancing immune gene expression.
Abstract:
Columnaris disease (CD) caused by Flavobacterium columnare (F. columnare) is lack of knowledge on effective treatment measures. Bacterial pathogens require iron as an essential nutrient to infect the host. While hepcidin acts as a master regulator in iron metabolism, its contribution to host defense is emerging as complex and multifaceted. In vitro, recombinant Ctenopharyngodon idellus (C. idellus) hepcidin (CiHep) and synthetic CiHep both showed the ability to increase the expression of hepcidin and ferritin in C. idellus kidney cells, especially the recombinant CiHep. In vivo, recombinant CiHep improved the survival rate of C. idellus challenged with F. columnare. In addition, the fish fed diet containing recombinant CiHep (group H-1) had a higher survival rate than other pretreatment groups. The study showed that recombinant CiHep regulated iron metabolism causing iron redistribution, decreasing serum iron levels and increasing iron accumulation in the hepatopancreas. Moreover, the expression of iron-related genes was upregulated in various degrees at a different time except for group H-1. Immune-related genes were also evaluated, showing higher expression in the groups pretreated with CiHep at an early stage of infection. Of note, a clear upregulation of more immune genes occurred in the groups pretreated with recombinant CiHep than that pretreated with synthetic CiHep in the late stage of infection. In conclusion, the recombinant CiHep has a protective effect on the host response to bacterial pathogens. We speculate that hepcidin protects C. idellus against F. columnare infection via regulating the iron distribution and immune gene expression.
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