Genetic effects of ELISA-based segregation for control of bacterial kidney disease in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

• Published in: Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences 2006-12, Vol.63 (12), p.2793-2808
• Main Authors: Hard, Jeffrey J, Elliott, Diane G, Pascho, Ronald J, Chase, Dorothy M, Park, Linda K, Winton, James R, Campton, Donald E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Biological and medical sciences; Chinook salmon; Disease; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Exploitation and management of natural biological resources (hunting, fishing and exploited populations survey, etc.); Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic effects; Genetic variation; Immunization; Kidney diseases; Kidneys; Listonella anguillarum; Marine; Mortality; Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; Pathogens; Quantitative genetics; Renibacterium salmoninarum; Salmon; Survival
• ISSN: 0706-652X; 1205-7533
• DOI: 10.1139/f06-163

We evaluated genetic variation in ability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to resist two bacterial pathogens: Renibacterium salmoninarum, the agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD), and Listonella anguillarum, an agent of vibriosis. After measuring R. salmoninarum antigen in 499 adults by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we mated each of 12 males with high or low antigen levels to two females with low to moderate levels and exposed subsets of their progeny to each pathogen separately. We found no correlation between R. salmoninarum antigen level in parents and survival of their progeny following pathogen exposure. We estimated high heritability for resistance to R. salmoninarum (survival h 2  = 0.890 ± 0.256 (mean ± standard error)) independent of parental antigen level, but low heritability for resistance to L. anguillarum (h 2  = 0.128 ± 0.078). The genetic correlation between these survivals (r A  = -0.204 ± 0.309) was near zero. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between survival and antigen levels among surviving progeny exposed to R. salmoninarum were both negative (r A  = -0.716 ± 0.140; r P  = -0.378 ± 0.041), indicating that variation in antigen level is linked to survival. These results suggest that selective culling of female broodstock with high antigen titers, which is effective in controlling BKD in salmon hatcheries, will not affect resistance of their progeny.