Sensitivity and permissivity of Cyprinus carpio to cyprinid herpesvirus 3 during the early stages of its development: importance of the epidermal mucus as an innate immune barrier

• Published in: Veterinary research (Paris) Vol. 45; no. 1; p. 100
• Main Authors: Ronsmans, Maygane, Boutier, Maxime, Rakus, Krzysztof, Farnir, Frédéric, Desmecht, Daniel, Ectors, Fabien, Vandecan, Michaël, Lieffrig, François, Mélard, Charles, Vanderplasschen, Alain
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: England Springer-Verlag 04.10.2014; BioMed Central Ltd; BioMed Central; EDP Sciences
• Subjects: Animals; biological resistance; bioluminescence; Carps - growth & development; Carps - immunology; Carps - virology; Cyprinid herpesvirus 3; Cyprinus carpio; Disease susceptibility; Disease Susceptibility - immunology; Disease Susceptibility - veterinary; Disease Susceptibility - virology; DNA Virus Infections - immunology; DNA Virus Infections - veterinary; DNA Virus Infections - virology; DNA Viruses - physiology; Epidermis - immunology; Epidermis - virology; fingerlings; Fish Diseases - immunology; Fish Diseases - virology; hatching; Health aspects; image analysis; Immunity, Innate; koi; larvae; Life Sciences; luciferase; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; mucus; Mucus - immunology; Mucus - virology; Médecine vétérinaire & santé animale; pathogens; Physiological aspects; Sciences du vivant; survival rate; Veterinary medicine & animal health; viruses
• ISSN: 1297-9716; 0928-4249; 1297-9716
• DOI: 10.1186/s13567-014-0100-0

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) causes a lethal disease in common and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). The present study investigated the ability of CyHV-3 to infect common carp during the early stages of its development (from embryos to fingerlings) after inoculation by immersion in water containing the virus. Fish were inoculated at different times after hatching with a pathogenic recombinant CyHV-3 strain expressing luciferase. The sensitivity and permissivity of carp to CyHV-3 were investigated using in vivo bioluminescence imaging. The susceptibility of carp to CyHV-3 disease was investigated by measuring the survival rate. Carp were sensitive and permissive to CyHV-3 infection and susceptible to CyHV-3 disease at all stages of development, but the sensitivity of the two early developmental stages (embryo and larval stages) was limited compared to later stages. The lower sensitivity observed for the early developmental stages was due to stronger inhibition of viral entry into the host by epidermal mucus. In addition, independent of the developmental stage at which inoculation was performed, the localization of light emission suggested that the skin is the portal of CyHV-3 entry. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that carp are sensitive and permissive to CyHV-3 at all stages of development and confirm that the skin is the major portal of entry after inoculation by immersion in infectious water. The results also stress the role of epidermal mucus as an innate immune barrier against pathogens even and especially at the early stages of development.