Franke, Andrea (2016) Immunostimulation in Early Life Stages of European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). (PhD/ Doctoral thesis), Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany, 143 pp.

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Abstract

The reliable production of high quality juvenile fish is still hampered in marine aquaculture due to the enormous mortality in the larval stages, which is often caused by the outbreak of infectious diseases. Early life stages are extremely susceptible towards pathogens because they lack a mature immune system. Conventional disease prevention relies on the prophylactic use of antibiotics, selecting for antibiotic-resistant bacteria making treatments less and less efficient. Accordingly, the development of alternative health management strategies is one of the key factors for the progress towards a more sustainable aquaculture industry. A possibility to increase the disease resistance in early developmental stages is the stimulation of the immune system by steering the gastrointestinal microbiota. Even though it is recognized that a healthy gastrointestinal microbiota is a prerequisite for the host´s well-being, the mechanisms underlying the interdependency between gastrointestinal microbiota and immunity are not very well understood in fish. In my thesis, I explored different possibilities to stimulate the immune system in early life stages of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), a key species in European aquaculture. I investigated immunological processes on a cellular and molecular level as well as the larval microbiota, life history traits and disease resistance.

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