Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Effect of Aeromonas hydrophila Infection on Caspase-3 Expression and Activity in Rohu, Labeo rohita

Mary Lini R ,Pani Prasad Kurcheti *,Gireesh Babu ,Purushothaman CS

Caspases are aspartic acid proteases which takes part an important role in the apoptosis process. There are two groups of caspases taking part in apoptosis, as initiators and executioners. Caspases 2, 8, 9 and 10 are initiatorsn and caspases 3 and 6 are executioners. The sequence of Labeo rohita caspase-3 has been identified and it was found to have highest (82%) homology with Danio rerio (zebra fish) followed by Tanichthys albonubes and Gobio gobio, all of which are freshwater fishes and belong to family Cyprinidae. The A. hydrophila infected tissues showed a increase in the expression of caspase 3 from 0 to 6 h in gill, liver and kidney and thereafter it reduced almost to the initial level at 24 h. The expression pattern of apoptotic genes like caspase-3 in the present study suggests that Aeromonas hydrophila uses a different mechanism to evade host immune response by inducing phagocyte suicide by apoptotic caspases.