Ecological Factors Mediate Immunity and Parasitic Co-Infection in Sea Fan Octocorals.

ABSTRACT: The interplay among environment, demography, and host-parasite interactions is a challenging frontier. In the ocean, fundamental changes are occurring due to anthropogenic pressures, including increased disease outbreaks on coral reefs. These outbreaks include multiple parasites, calling into question how host immunity functions in this complex milieu. Our work investigates the interplay of factors influencing co-infection in the Caribbean sea fan octocoral, Gorgonia ventalina, using metrics of the innate immune response: cellular immunity and expression of candidate immune genes. We used existing copepod infections and live pathogen inoculation with the Aspergillus sydowii fungus, detecting increased expression of the immune recognition gene Tachylectin 5A (T5A) in response

SUBMITTER: Tracy AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7829190 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature