Immune Modulation Mechanisms in Aquaculture Systems

Intensive aquaculture systems face persistent challenges from bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens, driving interest in strategies that modulate host immunity to enhance disease resistance and ensure sustainable production. Nutritional immunomodulation utilises dietary components such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, plant-derived bioactives and fermentation products to influence cell membrane composition, eicosanoid synthesis and gene transcription, thereby balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Molecular approaches employ pathogen-associated molecular patterns—such as CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and synthetic double-stranded RNA analogues—as adjuvants to activate toll-like receptors and retinoic acid-inducible gene-like receptors. This triggers interferon and cytokine networks, bolsters innate defences and promotes adaptive immune memory. Concurrently, selective breeding and genomic selection target genetic variants in pattern-recognition receptors and signalling molecules to enhance baseline immune competence. Integrating these nutritional, molecular and genetic strategies underpins the development of next-generation feeds and vaccines, reduces reliance on antibiotics and fortifies aquaculture resilience to environmental stressors and emerging diseases.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have shown that altering the dietary ratio of vegetable‐derived omega‐6 to omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in salmonid feeds can finely tune antiviral and antibacterial immune responses. Salmon fed high-omega-3 diets exhibited an anti-inflammatory lipid profile in head-kidney tissues, with restrained induction of pro-inflammatory genes during bacterial challenge, alongside elevated expression of interferon-mediated signalling components under viral stimulation. These findings demonstrate that specific lipid nutrition strategies may be leveraged to enhance disease resilience in low-fish-oil aquafeeds and inform the design of sustainable clinical feeds with optimised immunomodulatory properties.

Immune Modulation Mechanisms in Aquaculture Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in immune modulation mechanisms in aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): Essential lipids with multiple double bonds that modulate membrane properties and eicosanoid-mediated inflammation.

Polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid (poly I:C): A synthetic analogue of viral double-stranded RNA that activates innate antiviral pathways via pattern-recognition receptors.

CpG oligodeoxynucleotide: Short single-stranded DNA containing unmethylated cytosine–phosphate–guanosine motifs used as immunostimulatory adjuvants.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs): Membrane-bound sensors that detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns and initiate innate immune signalling.

Interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs): A set of genes induced by interferon signalling that execute antiviral and immunoregulatory functions.

Transcriptome: The complete set of RNA transcripts expressed in a cell or tissue, reflecting functional genomic responses.

Adjuvant: A substance that enhances the magnitude or duration of an immune response to an antigen.

References

1. The transcriptome sequencing analysis reveals immune mechanisms of soybean fermented powder on the loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) in response to Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infection. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
2. Vegetable omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids differentially modulate the antiviral and antibacterial immune responses of Atlantic salmon. Scientific Reports (2024).
3. Protective Effects of Long Double-Stranded RNA with Different CpG Motifs against Miamiensis avidus and Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) Infections in Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Fishes (2024).
4. Transcriptomic response of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) head kidney to viral mimic, with a focus on the interferon regulatory factor family. Frontiers in Immunology (2024).