Chile

Applying biotechnological solutions to aquaculture food security

The goal of this project is to improve aquaculture production by finding novel information about the immune responses of salmonids, key aquaculture species for both Canada and Chile. This will be achieved by applying biotechnological techniques to characterize the initiation of the immune response by the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) receptors. The specific goals are to:

1. express trout MHC receptors on the surface of mammalian cells;
2. purify the trout MHC receptors using polyclonal antibodies;
3. elute the peptide fragments from the MHC receptors and sequence them by mass spectrometry; and
4. search pathogen DNA sequence databases to identify which exact parts of the pathogens trout immune systems are targeting. MHC class II receptors will be targeted initially as they have fewer accessory molecules involved in their presentation pathway and thus may be easier to express in foreign cells.

This information will be useful in the design of vaccines against the pathogens as it will give specific parts of the pathogen to include in the vaccine and, additionally, will help with the selection of broodstock since those naturally containing MHC receptor alleles which target local Chilean or Canadian pathogens can be selected for breeding to develop the production fish. Losses of production fish to disease cost millions of dollars annually and, in the case of a severe outbreak such as the 2008 ISA virus outbreak in Chile, can decimate an industry. Improved knowledge of immune responses will prevent these losses, enhancing the economy and creating employment in both Canada and Chile.