About This Project

Terrestrial blood-feeding arthropods (e.g., ticks, mosquitoes) cause human diseases, making them a focus of immune response studies. While fish have been used in immunological research, including treatments for human diseases, no studies exist on their immune response to blood-feeding arthropods. As stem vertebrates, fish offer valuable insights into defense mechanisms and potential treatments for vector-borne diseases.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Our understanding of host resistance to arthropod (e.g., ticks and mosquitoes) infestation is based exclusively on terrestrial animals. No studies on the immune response of fish to blood-feeding arthropods exist. Additionally, much of what is known about host resistance to blood-feeding arthropods was derived from studies preceding the widespread use of gene expression data. Understanding the mechanisms leading to resistance to blood-feeding arthropods among fishes requires a comprehensive comparison of the immune response from multiple host species. Characterizing the mechanisms driving host resistance can lead to the development of novel vector control strategies and immuno-therapeutics.

What is the significance of this project?

Determining which host genes are most affected by blood-feeding arthropod (BFA) infection can lead to the identification of pathways involved in the fish immune response to BFAs. Characterizing gene expression profiles of infected fish can identify novel protective mechanisms against arthropod infestation not seen among terrestrial hosts. Ultimately, this may lead to new vector control strategies and treatment options for both aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates.

What are the goals of the project?

Our goals are to 1) complete fieldwork in Panama, 2) prepare samples for RNA-sequencing, and 3) characterize the immune response of fish to blood-feeding arthropod infection. Ultimately, by using Pacific and Caribbean fishes of varying susceptibility to infection by gnathiids (the only marine blood-feeding arthropods), we will characterize the gene expression profiles (RNA-sequencing) of mucosal (i.e., fish skin) and systemic (e.g., liver and spleen) immune responses between uninfected and parasitized groups of fish. In doing so, we will identify defense mechanisms used by closely related species (species that diverged following the formation of the Isthmus of Panama), which evolved under drastically different environmental conditions (Eastern Pacific vs. Tropical Caribbean).