The Immunomodulation Integrated Science Team focuses on contaminant and pathogen exposures in the environment that might influence the immune systems of wildlife and the connection to their shared environment with humans. In collaboration with public-health officials, the Team also addresses potential human-health risks stemming from similar exposures. If actual risks are identified, this Team will inform how to economically and effectively minimize risk by providing scientific data and understandings about the environmental transport, fate, and exposure pathways of contaminants and pathogens. Emphasis will be placed on addressing these issues on public and Department of the Interior managed landscapes.
Exposure of wildlife, fish, and humans to environmental contaminants is known to cause changes in immune function, which can affect fitness, reproduction and disease resistance. This process, known as immunomodulation, is a major research topic by public health, veterinary, and other medical professionals outside the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
However, it is outside the mission of those professionals to answer questions about the possible link between exposure to toxicants in the environment and immunomodulation in fish and wildlife. With numerous chemicals being released into the environment every day, improved understandings of the interactions between chemical contaminants, pathogens, and infectious diseases is increasing in importance. In collaboration with multiple Federal, State, and local government agencies, universities and international governments, scientists in the Immunomodulation Science Team of the USGS' Environmental Health Program design and conduct field-based assessments and controlled exposures of birds, fish, and other wildlife to gain insights into immune responses that may affect critical terrestrial and aquatic populations.
The science team research aims to identify immune responses, microbiome diversity and stability, and disease susceptibility in fish and wildlife exposed to contaminants and pathogens in the environment. They are also addressing key questions related to the role of contaminants in modulating susceptibility to pathogens, vulnerability to disease, and infectious disease outbreaks in wildlife. Eventually, the results of these studies will identify and prioritize the most important risk factors to fish and wildlife health and could be used to understand relevance for public health. the team is also actively engaged in the development of novel methods (genomic, immune, enzyme and hormone biomarkers to understand effects of contaminant classes commonly detected in the environment.
The Team provides data and information that can inform risk analysis and assessments used by stakeholders to determine the role of contaminant and pathogen exposures on health and disease susceptibility.
Current Science Questions and Activities
- Are there health risks to juvenile salmon associated with sub-lethal exposure to 6-PPD-quinone (a chemical added to car tires to reduce oxidation) entering surface waters through stormwater runoff.
- What is the potential for immunomodulation from combined exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds and microbial pathogens in black bass?
- Does exposure to elevated levels of contemporary or newly emerging contaminants induce immunotoxic and other effects in birds that potentially make them more susceptible to disease compared to those birds that have lower or no exposure?
- Does exposure to commonly occurring chemicals cause immunomodulation in amphibians and increase disease prevalence?
- What is the role of environmental factors in shaping the amphibian cutaneous microbiome and susceptibility to pathogens?
- Does exposure to pesticides, hormones, toxins or phytoestrogens modulate the immune response of fish to infectious agents? How do chemical contaminants influence disease resistance?
- Can a single exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals during early embryonic development lead to altered immune response potential of fish in subsequent generations?
- What are the pathways and timing of mercury induced immunomodulation in fish?
- The presence of liver tumors in the white sucker is currently used as a biomarker of contaminant exposure that is used to define Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes region. Are these viruses risk factors associated with the genesis of liver or skin tumors?
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Physiological and molecular endpoints observed in juvenile largemouth bass in response to an estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol) and subsequently a bacterial challenge (Edwardsiella piscicida) exposure under laboratory conditions.
Physiological and molecular endpoints observed in juvenile largemouth bass in response to an estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol) and subsequently a bacterial challenge (Edwardsiella piscicida) exposure under laboratory conditions. Also included are water quality and chemical concentration data.
Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska
Chart listing the geographic locations, NCBI numbers, voucher numbers, and microbiome characteristics of specimens collected for publication
Laboratory analysis assessing immune response after flame retardant exposure in American kestrels, Falco sparverius, through 21 days post-hatch
Laboratory analysis of innate American kestrel, Falco sparverius, immune response after exposure to flame retardant, isopropylphenyl phosphate (ITP) through 21 days post hatch. Data consist of flow cytometry files that were generated in the analysis of white blood cells from kestrel blood. Thus, data are in standard format that allows files created by one type of acquisition hardware and software
Discerning innate immunity in American kestrels, Falco sparverius, through 21 days post-hatch
Data consist of flow cytometry files that were generated in the analysis of white blood cells from kestrel blood. Thus, data are in standard format that allows files created by one type of acquisition hardware and software to be analyzed by any other type.
Biomarker responses in American kestrels exposed in ovo to EHTBB and TBPH
Observations of test subjects and hatching data - Body weight, organ/tissue weights Biomarker data (oxidative stress indicators, oxidative DNA damage, thyroid hormones, histological findings) in various tissues Chemical residues in tissues
Presence/Absence of Myxobolus inornatus, Aeromonas spp., and Flavobacterium spp. in Young-of-the-Year Smallmouth Bass with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Histopathological assessments of young-of-the-year smallmouth bass (YOY SMB) in the Susquehanna River drainage identified a high prevalence of the myxozoan Myxobolus inornatus. This myxozoan infects the connective tissue of the muscle below the skin but is sometimes observed in the esophagus and buccal cavity. In some instances, shallow infections cause breaks in the skin which could increase the
Cyanobacterial toxin effects on inflammatory response of human toll-like receptors (TLRs)
Various stressors including temperature, environmental chemicals and toxins can have profound impacts on immunity to pathogens. It is believed that increased eutrophication near rivers and lakes coupled with climate change are predicted to lead to increased algal blooms. Currently, the effects of cyanobacterial toxins on disease resistance in mammals is a largely unexplored area of research. Impor
In ovo exposure to brominated flame retardants Part II: Assessment of effects of TBBPA-BDBPE and BTBPE on hatching success, morphometric and physiological endpoints in American kestrels
- Observations of test subjects and hatching data - Body weight, organ/tissue weights - Biomarker data (oxidative stress indicators, oxidative DNA damage, thyroid hormones, histological findings) in various tissues - Chemical residues in tissues
Chloride in water, metals in sediment and amphibian tissues and amphibian capture information from wetlands in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota, 2015-2017
The data presented includes chloride concentration and specific conductance in surface water collected from 33 wetlands in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota, 2015-2017 as well as count data for three species of amphibians captured at each wetland. Data also includes concentrations of metals in bed sediment and larval amphibians collected from 32 and 12 wetlands, respectively in 2015-
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Filter Total Items: 26
Multi-omics responses in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings from the Maumee Area of Concern, Maumee River, Ohio
A multi-omics approach was utilized to identify altered biological responses and functions, and to prioritize contaminants to assess the risks of chemical mixtures in the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC), Maumee River, OH, USA. The Maumee AOC is designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as having significant beneficial use impairments, including degradation of fish and wildlife p
Authors
Chi Yen Tseng, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Cole W. Matson
Exposure to 17α-ethinylestradiol results in differential susceptibility of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to bacterial infection
Disease outbreaks, skin lesions, mortality events, and reproductive abnormalities have been observed in wild populations of centrarchids. The presence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EEDCs) has been implicated as a potential causal factor for these effects. The effects of prior EEDC exposure on immune response were examined in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) exposed
Authors
Jessica Kristin Leet, Justin Greer, Cathy A. Richter, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Edward Spinard, Jacquelyn McDonald, Carla M. Conway, Robert W. Gale, Donald E. Tillitt, John Hansen
Hepatic gene expression profiling of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed in ovo to three alternative brominated flame retardants
A number of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been reported to interfere with the thyroid signaling pathway and cause oxidative stress in birds, yet the underlying shifts in gene expression associated with these effects remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured hepatic transcriptional responses of 31 genes in American kestrel (Falco sparverius) hatchlings following in ovo exposure
Authors
Christopher G. Goodchild, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Ryan P. Braham, Paula F. P. Henry, Robert J. Letcher, Kim J. Fernie
Brief oil exposure reduces fitness in wild Gulf of Mexico mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster released 3.19 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in 2010, overlapping the habitat of pelagic fish populations. Using mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)─a highly migratory marine teleost present in the GOM during the spill─as a model species, laboratory experiments demonstrate injuries to physiology and behavior following oil exposure. Howev
Authors
Lela S. Schlenker, John D. Stieglitz, Justin Blaine Greer, Robin Faillettaz, Chi Hin Lam, Ronald H. Hoenig, Rachael M. Heuer, Charles J. McGuigan, Christina Pasparakis, Emma B. Esch, Gabrielle M. Ménard, Alexandra L. Jaroszewski, Claire B. Paris, Daniel Schlenk, Daniel D. Benetti, Martin Grosell
Expression plasticity regulates intraspecific variation in the acclimatization potential of a reef-building coral
Phenotypic plasticity is an important ecological and evolutionary response for organisms experiencing environmental change, but the ubiquity of this capacity within coral species and across symbiont communities is unknown. We exposed ten genotypes of the reef-building coral Montipora capitata with divergent symbiont communities to four thermal pre-exposure profiles and quantified gene expression b
Authors
Crawford Drury, Jenna Dilworth, Eva Majerová, Carlo Caruso, Justin Blaine Greer
Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse
Chemically intensive crop production depletes wildlife food resources, hinders animal development, health, survival, and reproduction, and it suppresses wildlife immune systems, facilitating emergence of infectious diseases with excessive mortality rates. Gut microbiota is crucial for wildlife's response to environmental stressors. Its composition and functionality are sensitive to diet changes an
Authors
Serguei Vyacheslavovich Drovetski, Brian K. Schmidt, Jonas Ethan Lai, Michael S. Gross, Michelle Hladik, Kenan Oguz Matterson, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier
The developing zebrafish kidney is impaired by Deepwater Horizon crude oil early-life stage exposure: A molecular to whole-organism perspective
Crude oil is known to induce developmental defects in teleost fish exposed during early life stages (ELSs). While most studies in recent years have focused on cardiac endpoints, evidence from whole-animal transcriptomic analyses and studies with individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) indicate that the developing kidney (i.e., pronephros) is also at risk. Considering the role of the pro
Authors
Fabrizio Bonatesta, Cameron Emadi, Edwin R. Price, Yadong Wang, Justin Blaine Greer, Elvis Genbo Xu, Daniel Schlenk, Martin Grosell, Edward M. Mager
Development of a multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to identify coinfections in young-of-the-year smallmouth bass
Histopathological assessments of young-of-the-year (age-0) Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in the Susquehanna River drainage identified a high prevalence of the myxozoan Myxobolus inornatus. This myxozoan infects the connective tissue of the muscle below the skin but is sometimes observed in the esophagus and buccal cavity. In some instances, shallow infections cause breaks in the skin, which
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik
Establishment of baseline cytology metrics in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius): Immunomodulatory effects of the flame retardant isopropylated triarylphosphate isomers
Avian populations must mount effective immune responses upon exposure to environmental stressors such as avian influenza and xenobiotics. Although multiple immune assays have been tested and applied to various avian species, antibody-mediated immune responses in non-model avian species are not commonly reported due to the lack of commercially available species-specific antibodies. The objectives o
Authors
Jill Jenkins, Brooke A Baudoin, Darren Johnson, Kim J. Fernie, Heather M. Stapelton, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier
Identification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA
The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans (Saprolegniales, Oomycetes), the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), is an OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) reportable pathogen, capable of infecting many fish species worldwide in both freshwater and estuarine environments (Iberahim et al. 2018). Since the discovery of EUS in Japan in 1971 (Egusa and Masuda 1971), it has spread globally and ca
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik
Genome sequences of 26 white sucker hepatitis B virus isolates from white sucker, catostomus commersonii, inhabiting transboundary waters from Alberta, Canada, to the Great Lakes, USA
We report 26 genomes of the white sucker hepatitis B virus (WSHBV) from the white sucker, Catostomus commersonii. Genome length ranged from 3541 to 3543 bp and nucleotide identity was 96.7% or greater across genomes. This work suggests a geographical range of this virus that minimally extends from the Athabasca River, Alberta, Canada to the Great Lakes, USA.
Authors
Cynthia R. Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Jim Sherry, Robert S. Cornman, Luke R. Iwanowicz
Phylogeographic genetic diversity in the white sucker hepatitis B Virus across the Great Lakes Region and Alberta, Canada
Hepatitis B viruses belong to a family of circular, double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a range of organisms, with host responses that vary from mild infection to chronic infection and cancer. The white sucker hepatitis B virus (WSHBV) was first described in the white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), a freshwater teleost, and belongs to the genus Parahepadnavirus. At present, the host range of
Authors
Cynthia R Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Jim Sherry, Robert S. Cornman, Luke R. Iwanowicz
The Immunomodulation Integrated Science Team focuses on contaminant and pathogen exposures in the environment that might influence the immune systems of wildlife and the connection to their shared environment with humans. In collaboration with public-health officials, the Team also addresses potential human-health risks stemming from similar exposures. If actual risks are identified, this Team will inform how to economically and effectively minimize risk by providing scientific data and understandings about the environmental transport, fate, and exposure pathways of contaminants and pathogens. Emphasis will be placed on addressing these issues on public and Department of the Interior managed landscapes.
Exposure of wildlife, fish, and humans to environmental contaminants is known to cause changes in immune function, which can affect fitness, reproduction and disease resistance. This process, known as immunomodulation, is a major research topic by public health, veterinary, and other medical professionals outside the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
However, it is outside the mission of those professionals to answer questions about the possible link between exposure to toxicants in the environment and immunomodulation in fish and wildlife. With numerous chemicals being released into the environment every day, improved understandings of the interactions between chemical contaminants, pathogens, and infectious diseases is increasing in importance. In collaboration with multiple Federal, State, and local government agencies, universities and international governments, scientists in the Immunomodulation Science Team of the USGS' Environmental Health Program design and conduct field-based assessments and controlled exposures of birds, fish, and other wildlife to gain insights into immune responses that may affect critical terrestrial and aquatic populations.
The science team research aims to identify immune responses, microbiome diversity and stability, and disease susceptibility in fish and wildlife exposed to contaminants and pathogens in the environment. They are also addressing key questions related to the role of contaminants in modulating susceptibility to pathogens, vulnerability to disease, and infectious disease outbreaks in wildlife. Eventually, the results of these studies will identify and prioritize the most important risk factors to fish and wildlife health and could be used to understand relevance for public health. the team is also actively engaged in the development of novel methods (genomic, immune, enzyme and hormone biomarkers to understand effects of contaminant classes commonly detected in the environment.
The Team provides data and information that can inform risk analysis and assessments used by stakeholders to determine the role of contaminant and pathogen exposures on health and disease susceptibility.
Current Science Questions and Activities
- Are there health risks to juvenile salmon associated with sub-lethal exposure to 6-PPD-quinone (a chemical added to car tires to reduce oxidation) entering surface waters through stormwater runoff.
- What is the potential for immunomodulation from combined exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds and microbial pathogens in black bass?
- Does exposure to elevated levels of contemporary or newly emerging contaminants induce immunotoxic and other effects in birds that potentially make them more susceptible to disease compared to those birds that have lower or no exposure?
- Does exposure to commonly occurring chemicals cause immunomodulation in amphibians and increase disease prevalence?
- What is the role of environmental factors in shaping the amphibian cutaneous microbiome and susceptibility to pathogens?
- Does exposure to pesticides, hormones, toxins or phytoestrogens modulate the immune response of fish to infectious agents? How do chemical contaminants influence disease resistance?
- Can a single exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals during early embryonic development lead to altered immune response potential of fish in subsequent generations?
- What are the pathways and timing of mercury induced immunomodulation in fish?
- The presence of liver tumors in the white sucker is currently used as a biomarker of contaminant exposure that is used to define Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes region. Are these viruses risk factors associated with the genesis of liver or skin tumors?
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Physiological and molecular endpoints observed in juvenile largemouth bass in response to an estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol) and subsequently a bacterial challenge (Edwardsiella piscicida) exposure under laboratory conditions.
Physiological and molecular endpoints observed in juvenile largemouth bass in response to an estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol) and subsequently a bacterial challenge (Edwardsiella piscicida) exposure under laboratory conditions. Also included are water quality and chemical concentration data.
Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska
Chart listing the geographic locations, NCBI numbers, voucher numbers, and microbiome characteristics of specimens collected for publication
Laboratory analysis assessing immune response after flame retardant exposure in American kestrels, Falco sparverius, through 21 days post-hatch
Laboratory analysis of innate American kestrel, Falco sparverius, immune response after exposure to flame retardant, isopropylphenyl phosphate (ITP) through 21 days post hatch. Data consist of flow cytometry files that were generated in the analysis of white blood cells from kestrel blood. Thus, data are in standard format that allows files created by one type of acquisition hardware and software
Discerning innate immunity in American kestrels, Falco sparverius, through 21 days post-hatch
Data consist of flow cytometry files that were generated in the analysis of white blood cells from kestrel blood. Thus, data are in standard format that allows files created by one type of acquisition hardware and software to be analyzed by any other type.
Biomarker responses in American kestrels exposed in ovo to EHTBB and TBPH
Observations of test subjects and hatching data - Body weight, organ/tissue weights Biomarker data (oxidative stress indicators, oxidative DNA damage, thyroid hormones, histological findings) in various tissues Chemical residues in tissues
Presence/Absence of Myxobolus inornatus, Aeromonas spp., and Flavobacterium spp. in Young-of-the-Year Smallmouth Bass with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Histopathological assessments of young-of-the-year smallmouth bass (YOY SMB) in the Susquehanna River drainage identified a high prevalence of the myxozoan Myxobolus inornatus. This myxozoan infects the connective tissue of the muscle below the skin but is sometimes observed in the esophagus and buccal cavity. In some instances, shallow infections cause breaks in the skin which could increase the
Cyanobacterial toxin effects on inflammatory response of human toll-like receptors (TLRs)
Various stressors including temperature, environmental chemicals and toxins can have profound impacts on immunity to pathogens. It is believed that increased eutrophication near rivers and lakes coupled with climate change are predicted to lead to increased algal blooms. Currently, the effects of cyanobacterial toxins on disease resistance in mammals is a largely unexplored area of research. Impor
In ovo exposure to brominated flame retardants Part II: Assessment of effects of TBBPA-BDBPE and BTBPE on hatching success, morphometric and physiological endpoints in American kestrels
- Observations of test subjects and hatching data - Body weight, organ/tissue weights - Biomarker data (oxidative stress indicators, oxidative DNA damage, thyroid hormones, histological findings) in various tissues - Chemical residues in tissues
Chloride in water, metals in sediment and amphibian tissues and amphibian capture information from wetlands in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota, 2015-2017
The data presented includes chloride concentration and specific conductance in surface water collected from 33 wetlands in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota, 2015-2017 as well as count data for three species of amphibians captured at each wetland. Data also includes concentrations of metals in bed sediment and larval amphibians collected from 32 and 12 wetlands, respectively in 2015-
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Filter Total Items: 26
Multi-omics responses in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings from the Maumee Area of Concern, Maumee River, Ohio
A multi-omics approach was utilized to identify altered biological responses and functions, and to prioritize contaminants to assess the risks of chemical mixtures in the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC), Maumee River, OH, USA. The Maumee AOC is designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as having significant beneficial use impairments, including degradation of fish and wildlife p
Authors
Chi Yen Tseng, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Cole W. Matson
Exposure to 17α-ethinylestradiol results in differential susceptibility of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to bacterial infection
Disease outbreaks, skin lesions, mortality events, and reproductive abnormalities have been observed in wild populations of centrarchids. The presence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EEDCs) has been implicated as a potential causal factor for these effects. The effects of prior EEDC exposure on immune response were examined in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) exposed
Authors
Jessica Kristin Leet, Justin Greer, Cathy A. Richter, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Edward Spinard, Jacquelyn McDonald, Carla M. Conway, Robert W. Gale, Donald E. Tillitt, John Hansen
Hepatic gene expression profiling of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed in ovo to three alternative brominated flame retardants
A number of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been reported to interfere with the thyroid signaling pathway and cause oxidative stress in birds, yet the underlying shifts in gene expression associated with these effects remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured hepatic transcriptional responses of 31 genes in American kestrel (Falco sparverius) hatchlings following in ovo exposure
Authors
Christopher G. Goodchild, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Ryan P. Braham, Paula F. P. Henry, Robert J. Letcher, Kim J. Fernie
Brief oil exposure reduces fitness in wild Gulf of Mexico mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster released 3.19 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in 2010, overlapping the habitat of pelagic fish populations. Using mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)─a highly migratory marine teleost present in the GOM during the spill─as a model species, laboratory experiments demonstrate injuries to physiology and behavior following oil exposure. Howev
Authors
Lela S. Schlenker, John D. Stieglitz, Justin Blaine Greer, Robin Faillettaz, Chi Hin Lam, Ronald H. Hoenig, Rachael M. Heuer, Charles J. McGuigan, Christina Pasparakis, Emma B. Esch, Gabrielle M. Ménard, Alexandra L. Jaroszewski, Claire B. Paris, Daniel Schlenk, Daniel D. Benetti, Martin Grosell
Expression plasticity regulates intraspecific variation in the acclimatization potential of a reef-building coral
Phenotypic plasticity is an important ecological and evolutionary response for organisms experiencing environmental change, but the ubiquity of this capacity within coral species and across symbiont communities is unknown. We exposed ten genotypes of the reef-building coral Montipora capitata with divergent symbiont communities to four thermal pre-exposure profiles and quantified gene expression b
Authors
Crawford Drury, Jenna Dilworth, Eva Majerová, Carlo Caruso, Justin Blaine Greer
Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse
Chemically intensive crop production depletes wildlife food resources, hinders animal development, health, survival, and reproduction, and it suppresses wildlife immune systems, facilitating emergence of infectious diseases with excessive mortality rates. Gut microbiota is crucial for wildlife's response to environmental stressors. Its composition and functionality are sensitive to diet changes an
Authors
Serguei Vyacheslavovich Drovetski, Brian K. Schmidt, Jonas Ethan Lai, Michael S. Gross, Michelle Hladik, Kenan Oguz Matterson, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier
The developing zebrafish kidney is impaired by Deepwater Horizon crude oil early-life stage exposure: A molecular to whole-organism perspective
Crude oil is known to induce developmental defects in teleost fish exposed during early life stages (ELSs). While most studies in recent years have focused on cardiac endpoints, evidence from whole-animal transcriptomic analyses and studies with individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) indicate that the developing kidney (i.e., pronephros) is also at risk. Considering the role of the pro
Authors
Fabrizio Bonatesta, Cameron Emadi, Edwin R. Price, Yadong Wang, Justin Blaine Greer, Elvis Genbo Xu, Daniel Schlenk, Martin Grosell, Edward M. Mager
Development of a multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to identify coinfections in young-of-the-year smallmouth bass
Histopathological assessments of young-of-the-year (age-0) Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in the Susquehanna River drainage identified a high prevalence of the myxozoan Myxobolus inornatus. This myxozoan infects the connective tissue of the muscle below the skin but is sometimes observed in the esophagus and buccal cavity. In some instances, shallow infections cause breaks in the skin, which
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik
Establishment of baseline cytology metrics in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius): Immunomodulatory effects of the flame retardant isopropylated triarylphosphate isomers
Avian populations must mount effective immune responses upon exposure to environmental stressors such as avian influenza and xenobiotics. Although multiple immune assays have been tested and applied to various avian species, antibody-mediated immune responses in non-model avian species are not commonly reported due to the lack of commercially available species-specific antibodies. The objectives o
Authors
Jill Jenkins, Brooke A Baudoin, Darren Johnson, Kim J. Fernie, Heather M. Stapelton, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier
Identification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA
The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans (Saprolegniales, Oomycetes), the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), is an OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) reportable pathogen, capable of infecting many fish species worldwide in both freshwater and estuarine environments (Iberahim et al. 2018). Since the discovery of EUS in Japan in 1971 (Egusa and Masuda 1971), it has spread globally and ca
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik
Genome sequences of 26 white sucker hepatitis B virus isolates from white sucker, catostomus commersonii, inhabiting transboundary waters from Alberta, Canada, to the Great Lakes, USA
We report 26 genomes of the white sucker hepatitis B virus (WSHBV) from the white sucker, Catostomus commersonii. Genome length ranged from 3541 to 3543 bp and nucleotide identity was 96.7% or greater across genomes. This work suggests a geographical range of this virus that minimally extends from the Athabasca River, Alberta, Canada to the Great Lakes, USA.
Authors
Cynthia R. Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Jim Sherry, Robert S. Cornman, Luke R. Iwanowicz
Phylogeographic genetic diversity in the white sucker hepatitis B Virus across the Great Lakes Region and Alberta, Canada
Hepatitis B viruses belong to a family of circular, double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a range of organisms, with host responses that vary from mild infection to chronic infection and cancer. The white sucker hepatitis B virus (WSHBV) was first described in the white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), a freshwater teleost, and belongs to the genus Parahepadnavirus. At present, the host range of
Authors
Cynthia R Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Jim Sherry, Robert S. Cornman, Luke R. Iwanowicz