Abstract
Catfish is a commonly-cultivated freshwater fish in Thailand and many Southeast Asian countries. The molecular data obtained for the IgM heavy chain (IgMH) of catfish have been useful for distinguishing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A mAb specific to Cμ1 of the IgMH of catfish (IgMHCμ1 mAb) was developed in a rabbit model using sequence information from bighead catfish (Clarias macrocephalus). The IgMHCμ1 mAb strongly recognized the IgM heavy chain of the tested catfish, namely, bighead catfish, African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and their hybrid (C. macrocephalus × C. gariepinus), in immunological Western blot analysis and competitive ELISAs. Additionally, the IgMHCμ1 mAb successfully recognized IgM+ cells by detecting IgM molecules in both secreted and membrane-bound forms in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs). The IgMHCμ1 mAb was further used to quantify the percentage of IgM+ cells among PBLs through flow cytophotometry. The IgM+ cell percentages of healthy bighead catfish, African catfish and their hybrid were 38.0–39.9%, 45.6–53.2%, and 58.7–60.0%, respectively. Furthermore, the IgMHCμ1 mAb showed no cross-reactivity with the IgM of zebrafish. These findings suggest that this mAb can be used as an immunological tool for monitoring the health, immune status, and immune development of cultivated Clarias catfish.
Highlights
The catfish industry is the second largest long-lasting freshwater fish aquaculture industry in Thailand after the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) industry
The results indicate that the IgMHCμ1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) could recognize both intracellular and membrane-bound forms of IgM molecules in lymphocytes
The results showed that the percentages of IgM+ cells in the peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of healthy bighead catfish (Figure 7A), African catfish (Figure 7B), and hybrid catfish (Figure 7C) were
Summary
The catfish industry is the second largest long-lasting freshwater fish aquaculture industry in Thailand after the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) industry. Among the catfish species found in Thailand, the bighead catfish (Clarias macrocephalus Gunther, 1864) is a well-known species with economically important characteristics, especially special meat flavors and textures [2,3]. This fish exhibits natural limitations under many conditions. Bighead catfish are slow growing, defective in fry production, susceptible to infectious disease, and sensitive to various environmental conditions [4] These constraints strongly affect catfish production in Thailand [5,6,7]. Bighead catfish are increasingly being used for hybrid catfish production in Thailand [2,3,4,5,6,7]
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