Evaluation of HSP70 expression as stress indicator in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Supervisor : Marco Galeotti

The worldwide decline of fisheries stocks has provided a growing economical interest in intensive aquaculture. A proper management of fish farms has became basic in order to improve fish welfare and to limit the stressful stocking conditions, as well as the environmental impact. In farms fishes are exposed to several stressful conditions such as handling, selection, weighing, management factors (high stocking density, feeding, temperature, water quality, diseases), transport conditions and slaughter procedures. So it is necessary to investigate parameters, such as alternative markers, capable to describe fish welfare and to survey environmental stress.
The aim of this research is to evaluate the opportunity of using "heat shock protein 70" (Hsp70) as useful parameters to assess stress conditions/diseases in fish, particularly concerning rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). As first part of work we are evaluating the expression and localization of inducible Hsp70 in trouts submitted to a immunological stress (injection of inactivated Listonella anguillarum). We are focusing our attention on liver, gills, anterior kidney, spleen and brain. These organs are analyzed by immunohistochemistry in order to evaluate where the proteins is produced and to what extent. These organs will be moreover analyzed by E.L.I.S.A. in order to evaluate if there are quantitative differences of Hsp70 between organs and correlated to the time after stress exposure. In the mean time we are collecting serum samples from several rainbow trout commercial farms of Friuli Venezia Giulia in order to extend our experimental investigation to field conditions.

Fundings : This research programme is financed within a research project supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (regional law n. 26, Italy) entitled “Progetto I.R.IDEA” (scientific leader prof. Marco Galeotti).

Biography and contacts
Daniele Bassignana was born in 1980 in Italy; in the 2005 he graduated with honours (110/110 cum laude) in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bologna (Italy). In 2010 he also graduated at the High level School of “Allevamento, igiene, patologia delle specie acquatiche e controllo dei prodotti derivati” (Università di Udine). He currently works as vet and in 2011 started the doctoral course at the PhD school “Agriculture Science and Biotechnology” at the University of Udine.

daniele.bassignana@uniud.it
[Phone 328.4913215]