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Abstract:
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The constitutive production of AMPs in shrimps ensures that animals
are able to protect themselves from low-level assaults by pathogens present
in the environment. As these molecules play important roles in the shrimp
immune defense system, the expression level of these AMPs are possible
indicators of the immune state of shrimps. The present study also indicates
the antiviral property of AMPs, especially ALF, stressing the importance of
their up-regulation through the application of immunostimulants/probiotics
as a prophylactic strategy in aquaculture. The present study shows that
shrimp defense system is equipped enough to evade WSSV infection to a
certain extent, when the animals were maintained on marine yeast and
probiotic diet, whereas the control diet fed group succumbed to WSSV
infection. This study reveals that marine yeast and probiotic supplemented
diet can delay the process of WSSV infection and confer greater protection to
the animals. Particularly, the protection conferred by marine yeast, C.
haemulonii S27 and Bacillus MCCB101 were highly promising imparting
greater hope to the aquaculture community to overcome the prevailing
disease problems in aquaculture. It may be inferred from the present study
that up-regulation of AMP genes could be effected by the application of
immunostimulants and probiotics. Also, AMP expression profile could be
used as an effective tool for screening immunostimulants and probiotics for application in shrimp culture. Ultimately, it is likely that no single
compound or strategy will provide a solution to the problem of disease
within aquaculture and that, in reality, a suite of techniques will be required
including the manipulation of the rearing environment, addition of
probionts as a matter of routine during culture, and the use of
immunostimulants and other supplements during vulnerable growth phases.
Finally, the development of good management practices, the control of
environmental variables, genetic improvement in the penaeid species,
understanding of host-virus interaction, modulation of the shrimp immune
system, supported by functional genomics and proteomics of this crustacean,
as a whole suggests that the control of WSSV is not far. |