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Review
. 2015 Jul 15;3(4):e1068907.
doi: 10.1080/21688370.2015.1068907. eCollection 2015 Oct-Dec.

Physiology and immunology of mucosal barriers in catfish (Ictalurus spp.)

Eric Peatman  1 , Miles Lange  2 , Honggang Zhao  1 , Benjamin H Beck  2
Affiliations
Review

Physiology and immunology of mucosal barriers in catfish (Ictalurus spp.)

Eric Peatman et al. Tissue Barriers. .

Abstract

The mucosal barriers of catfish (Ictalurus spp) constitute the first line of defense against pathogen invasion while simultaneously carrying out a diverse array of other critical physiological processes, including nutrient adsorption, osmoregulation, waste excretion, and environmental sensing. Catfish depend more heavily on mucosal barriers than their terrestrial counterparts as they are continuously interacting with the aquatic microbiota. Our understanding of these barriers, while growing, is still limited relative to that of mammalian model systems. Nevertheless, a combination of molecular and cellular studies in catfish over the last few decades, and particularly within the last few years, has helped to elucidate many of the primary actors and pathways critical to their mucosal health. Here we describe aspects of innate and adaptive immune responses in the primary mucosal tissues (skin, gill, and intestine) of catfish, focusing on mucus-driven responses, pathogen recognition, soluble mediators, and immunoglobulin and T-cell derived immunity. Modulation of mucosal barriers will be critical moving forward for crafting better diets, improving vaccine delivery, enhancing water quality, and ensuring sustainable production practices in catfish.

Keywords: RNA-seq; catfish; disease; mucosal immunity; teleost.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Channel catfish featuring different susceptibilities (panel A, resistant fish; panel B, susceptible fish) to Flavobacterium columnare (columnaris disease) show disparate numbers of mucus-producing goblet cells in the gill (indicated by black arrows). 200X magnification. Periodic acid Schiff technique.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The complex interactions of environment, host, pathogen, and microbiome in catfish aquaculture pose challenges, but also offer numerous points of manipulation for research and production improvements. Arrows illustrate numerous connections and feedback mechanisms among the biotic and abiotic factors impacting catfish mucosal barriers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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