Induction of trained immunity using β-glucan and its protective responses in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Abstract

Emerging and re-emerging diseases in fish cause drastic economic losses in the aquaculture sector. To combat the impact of disease outbreaks and prevent the emergence of infections in culture systems, understanding the advanced strategies for protecting fish against infections is inevitable in fish health research. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the induction of trained immunity and its protective efficacy against Streptococcus agalactiae in tilapia. For this, Nile tilapia and the Tilapia head kidney macrophage primary culture were primed using β-glucan @200 μg/10 g body weight and 10 μg/mL respectively. Expression profiles of the markers of trained immunity and production of metabolites were monitored at different time points, post-priming and training, which depicted enhanced responsiveness. Higher lactate and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) production in vitro suggests heightened glycolysis induced by priming of the cells using β-glucan. A survival rate of 60% was observed in β-glucan trained fish post challenge with virulent S. agalactiae at an LD₅₀ of 2.6 × 10⁷ cfu/ml, providing valuable insights into promising strategies of trained immunity for combating infections in fish.

Keywords: Glucan; Innate immune memory; Nile tilapia; Streptococcus agalactiae; Trained immunity.