Host-parasite transcriptomics during immunostimulant enhanced rejection of salmon lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis by Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Lepeophtheirus salmonis

We investigate the effect of a functional feed for immunostimulation (peptidoglycan extract from bacterial cell wall with nucleotide formulation) on L. salmonis infection levels on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, and on host and parasite gene expression profiles. Atlantic salmon smolts (~95 g) were fed a control diet, or a low or high dose immunostimulant diet, and then exposed to L. salmonis copepodids in three subsequent exposures. The transcriptome of salmon lice late in the infection attached to either the low dose diet or control diet hosts were compared using a 38K oligonucleotide microarray. Overall design: Atlantic L. salmonis copepods were used to infect Atlantic salmon on an immunostimulant diet, and upon development to the adult stage the lice were collected and profiled. Lice are either feeding on immunostimulant-fed or control-fed salmon. Lice samples are equal numbers of males and females.