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Shrimp lectin–conjugated copper sulfide nanoparticles enhance immune response and gene expression in Etroplus suratensis infected with Aeromonas hydrophila

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Abstract

Lectins are hemagglutinating glycoproteins which act as pathogen recognition receptors that can bind to the pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Shrimp lectin (Md-Lec) is a lectin that is reported to have antimicrobial property. In this study, the CuS nanoparticles (CuS NPs) which were previously reported to have wide range of antimicrobial activity were conjugated with Md-Lec. Thus, their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against aquatic pathogens was reduced four times than that of their individual activity. Moreover, antibacterial and antibiofilm assay was performed with Md-Lec, pCuS NPs, and Md-Lec conjugated with pCuS NPs (Md-Lec-pCuS NPs) against Aeromonas hydrophila at 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL. The hydrophobicity index and EPS (extracellular polysaccharide) production of A. hydrophila were decreased after treating with Md-Lec-pCuS NPs. The non-specific immune parameters—lysozyme assay, peroxidase assay, and respiratory burst activity—were elevated considerably in the infected fishes that are treated with Md-Lec-pCuS NPs at their MIC. Further, immune gene (COX2, MyD88, and LEC) expression analysis at different time intervals was also done in the infected Etroplus suratensis that are treated with Md-Lec-pCuS NPs at 3.13 μM concentration. The results reveal that the immune gene expression was upregulated at the 6th hour of infection in the infected fish that are treated with Md-Lec-pCuS NPs (3.13 μM) and thus it can be used as a therapeutic agent which can act as an immunostimulant for the production of disease-free fishes in aquaculture industry.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Department of Science and Technology-Science and Engineering Research Board project ECR/2015/000554 to E. P. The authors deeply acknowledge the Department of Health Research, ICMR, New Delhi, for the encouragement and financial assistance (No.R.12013/04/2017-HR) towards HRD fellowship-Women Scientist with break in career to SL.

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This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology-Science and Engineering Research Board project ECR/2015/000554.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Processing Technology (Biochemistry), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kerala, India

    Preetham Elumalai

  2. School of Ocean Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kerala, India

    Preetham Elumalai, Abdul Salam Rubeena & Sreeja Lakshmi

  3. Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 613 401, India

    Veerappan Anbazhagan

  4. SRM Research Institute, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Formerly known as SRM University), Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Jesu Arockiaraj

  5. Biomaterials and Biotechnology in Animal Health Lab, Nanobiosciences and Nanopharmacology Division, Department of Animal Health and Management, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630004, India

    Mani Divya & Baskaralingam Vaseeharan

  6. Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, People’s Republic of China, 264209

    Sekar Vijayakumar

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  1. Preetham Elumalai
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Correspondence to Preetham Elumalai.

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All experiments were performed in compliance with the guidelines as prescribed by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (SOST/PhD001/2019) of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, India.

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Elumalai, P., Rubeena, A.S., Lakshmi, S. et al. Shrimp lectin–conjugated copper sulfide nanoparticles enhance immune response and gene expression in Etroplus suratensis infected with Aeromonas hydrophila. Aquacult Int 29, 1103–1120 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-021-00679-5

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