Protective immune response of fish to parasitic flagellates

The piscine immune system is normally quite efficient in protecting the host (innate and acquired immunity) from parasitic infections. Innate immunity may occur at two distinct levels — between host species and within a host species. If the resistance is at the host species (or a higher taxonomic group) level, then it is inter-host innate immunity. For example, Oncorhynchus mykiss can be infected with the pathogenic hemoflagellate, Cryptobia salmositica isolated from Oncorhynchus spp. but cannot be infected with Cryptobia catostomi from Catostomus commersoni. At the next level, there are individuals within a susceptible host species that are resistant to infection — this is intra-host innate immunity; e.g. some Salvelinus fontinalis are resistant to C. salmositica infection while others are not. This resistance to infection is not dependent on age or size of the fish; it is inherited and is controlled by a dominant gene. Protection at both levels of innate immunity is via the activation of the alternative pathway of complement activation to lyse the parasite. Also, S. fontinalis can be infected with the pathogenic C. salmositica have very high parasitaemias but they do not suffer from the disease as O. mykiss. This resistance to disease is related to high levels and rapid production of α₂-macroglobulin which is one of two natural antiproteases. The α₂-macroglobulin in the blood neutralises the metallo-protease secreted by the pathogenic C. salmositica. Acquire immunity was shown in fish that survived infections of pathogenic flagellates. Fish that have recovered from Amyloodinium ocellatum, C. salmositica, Cryptobia bullocki, and Trypanosoma danilewskyi are protected. This protection requires prior exposure to the pathogen and/or its antigens. Humoral (e.g. complement fixing antibodies to lyse the parasite) and cell-mediated (e.g. T-cell cytotoxicity, phagocytosis) are part of the protective mechanism in acquired immunity. Also, an attenuated live C. salmositica vaccine has been developed and it protects juvenile and adult salmonids from cryptobiosis for at least 2 years.