ResisGal · Ostreid herpesvirus 1: Genetic selection of Resistant strains and environmental interaction in the Atlantic coast of Spain (Galicia)

Ostreid herpesvirus 1: Genetic selection of Resistant strains and environmental interaction in the Atlantic coast of Spain (Galicia)

One of the main concerns in the aquaculture sector is the significant mortality of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, the principal shellfish cultivated worldwide. Among other factors, the incidence of a virus (OsHV-1) has been directly associated with these mortality events which can largely exceed normal losses. The economic impact of the disease in oyster production has reached worrying levels since it has been spread to producer countries in both hemispheres. Shellfish are hard to treat when exposed to disease due to the high population densities involved, the environment in which they are found and that immunisation is not a possibility due to their lack of an adaptive immune response. Treatment and control mechanisms tend to focus on long term solutions such as identification of resistant traits and breeding for the inclusion of these traits. In this study, resistant strains will be genetically characterized and investigated in the field in order to identify the molecular markers required for assisted selection in future breeding programs. The relationship between environmental parameters, virus transmission between species and virus prevalence will be further studied with the aim of establishing less risky conditions for culture. Objectives of the study: 1. To identify the markers associated with virus resistance in spat produced by genetic selection. 2. To characterize the epigenetic regulation that may be operating in genes related to virus resistance. 3. To investigate the incidence of OsHV-1 in the octopus and determine its role as virus reservoir 4. To determine if DNA from sea water could be used as a predictable signal of oyster mortality.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз