Towards lice-resistant salmon: functional genetics and genome editing to enhance disease resistance in aquaculture
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Stirling
Department Name: Institute of Aquaculture
Abstract
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Technical Summary
Improving genetic resistance of farmed salmon stocks is a promising but underutilised component of preventing the economic and animal welfare burden caused by sea lice. While selective breeding incrementally increases host resistance, it is restricted to utilising genomic variants segregating in the broodstock. Genome editing approaches offer new opportunities to create de novo resistance alleles, or to introgress resistance alleles from closely related species. Therefore, understanding and harnessing within and across species variation in sea lice resistance in salmonids is a key goal.
While Atlantic salmon are susceptible to lice, certain Pacific salmon such as coho are highly resistant. This resistance is mediated by a localised epithelial hyperplasia coupled with immune cell infiltration in the first few days after louse attachment. This project focusses on understanding and exploiting the functional mechanisms underpinning this response. Harnessing large scale disease challenge and pedigree data provided by the industrial partner Benchmark, the team will map and characterise genes underpinning host resistance in Atlantic salmon. This will be coupled by a detailed temporal profiling of the localised host response using single cell RNA sequencing of attachment sites in resistant and susceptible fish, within and across species. Putative targets for immunomodulation by the parasite will also be identified using a yeast-two-hybrid approach with known louse secretory proteins.
The high-throughput genomic data will provide a list of putative key resistance genes and pathways for further filtering using CRISPR editing in a primary cell culture model system. This will culminate in high priority targets for in vivo editing, followed by assessment of the relative resistance to sea lice in edited salmon versus unedited controls. A successful outcome of an edited Atlantic salmon with resistance to sea lice has potential to transform global aquaculture.
While Atlantic salmon are susceptible to lice, certain Pacific salmon such as coho are highly resistant. This resistance is mediated by a localised epithelial hyperplasia coupled with immune cell infiltration in the first few days after louse attachment. This project focusses on understanding and exploiting the functional mechanisms underpinning this response. Harnessing large scale disease challenge and pedigree data provided by the industrial partner Benchmark, the team will map and characterise genes underpinning host resistance in Atlantic salmon. This will be coupled by a detailed temporal profiling of the localised host response using single cell RNA sequencing of attachment sites in resistant and susceptible fish, within and across species. Putative targets for immunomodulation by the parasite will also be identified using a yeast-two-hybrid approach with known louse secretory proteins.
The high-throughput genomic data will provide a list of putative key resistance genes and pathways for further filtering using CRISPR editing in a primary cell culture model system. This will culminate in high priority targets for in vivo editing, followed by assessment of the relative resistance to sea lice in edited salmon versus unedited controls. A successful outcome of an edited Atlantic salmon with resistance to sea lice has potential to transform global aquaculture.
Publications
Robinson N
(2022)
Applying genetic technologies to combat infectious diseases in aquaculture
in Reviews in Aquaculture
Elumalai P
(2023)
Fish Vaccines - Health Management for Sustainable Aquaculture
Description | Appointed to European Union workgroup on Listing and Categorisation of Aquatic Diseases |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | MSc education |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Panel on availability of vaccines for the aquaculture sector - discussion with Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | PhD Education - Appointment to EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership management group |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | PhD education |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Harnessing cross-species variation in sea lice resistance |
Amount | £3,384,347 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 901631 |
Organisation | FHF - Fiskeri- og havbruksnæringens forskningsfinansiering |
Sector | Private |
Country | Norway |
Start | 01/2021 |
End | 12/2024 |
Description | Collaboration with Rothamstead |
Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Expertise on sea lice and salmon tissue / mucus samples |
Collaborator Contribution | Expertise on semiochemicals in sea lice and other arthropod pests |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Collaboration with University of Melbourne |
Organisation | University of Melbourne |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Expertise with sea lice, immunology and bioinformatics |
Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in genetics for selective resistance in livestock |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Press Release "Scots aim for lice-resistant salmon" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Press release on "The Fish Site", which lists its readership as "...aquaculturists who are interested in sustainable production, general farming techniques and innovation" and "...Innovators, investors, suppliers, academics/researchers, NGOs and other change leaders". Readership estimated at >2.3 million unique users. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://thefishsite.com/articles/scots-aim-for-lice-resistant-salmon-genolice |