β-Glucan training induces stimulus-dependent immune and metabolic modulation in head kidney leukocytes that persists for several days in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

07 May 20265 min read0 viewsJournal Feed

GIST (Key Takeaways)

The innate immune system of fish has conventionally been considered incapable of immunological memory, but is now being recognised as exhibiting memory-like features known as trained immunity. This study investigated the induction of trained immunity in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) by training head kidney-derived leukocytes using β-glucan, followed by a resting phase and secondary stimulation with β-glucan (homologous) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, heterologous).
The cellular responses, metabolite production, and gene expression related to innate immunity, metabolism, and epigenetic markers were assessed. The effects of initial β-glucan training persisted after a 5-day resting period, during which upregulation occurred in the expression of key innate immune and metabolic genes.
Upon secondary stimulation, leukocytes exhibited stimulus-dependent transcriptional responses with increased expression of several pro-inflammatory and metabolic genes, particularly in the heterologous LPS-exposed group. Attenuation of specific inflammatory cytokine responses occurred in trained cells upon LPS stimulation, but metabolic gene expression patterns indicated regulation toward enhancing glycolytic activity and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism.
Trained cells also displayed significantly increased phagocytic activity, especially after heterologous exposure.

Clinical Editorial

Summary

Frontiers in Immunology published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 07 May 2026.

The item focuses on β-Glucan training induces stimulus-dependent immune and metabolic modulation in head kidney leukocytes that persists for several days in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

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