The Molecular Basis for the Etiology of the Oyster Dermo Disease: Gene Regulation Events Susceptible to
Chemical Inhibition
How is
Perkinsus marinus able to invade its oyster host, evade detection and thus subsequent attack by cellular defense mechanisms, and why is Crassostrea virginica more susceptible to Dermo than closely related species? Answers to such questions may make it possible to inhibit infection, bolster host immunity or identify genes which confer improved resistance to the parasite. Researchers in this project are working to identify nutritional and other factors in the oyster's cells and tissues which regulate the ability of P. marinus to reproduce within its host and to determine the adaptations which allow the parasite to evade destruction by the oyster's hemocytes. The ultimate goal is to develop chemical strategies to block the ability of the parasite to detect, enter or proliferate within the body of the oyster. The activity of the parasite in the eastern oyster will also be compared with that in the more resistant Pacific oyster.
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Gerardo Vasta and Adam G. Marsh
Center of Marine Biotechnology
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
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