Atlantic salmon skin response towards salmon louse

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are highly susceptible to infestations with the ectoparasite Lepeophtheirus salmonis, the salmon louse. Infestations elicit an immune response in the fish, but the response does not lead to parasite clearance, nor does it protect against subsequent infestations. It is, however, not known why the immune response is not adequate, as the local response directly underneath the louse has been poorly evaluated. The present study describes the transcriptomic response by RNA sequencing of skin at the site of copepodid attachment. The project also analyzed the function of salivary gland proteins, looking at the local response underneath knock down lice in comparison to control lice.