ARS | Publication request: MAPPING OF TOLL LIKE RECEPTOR (TLR) GENES IN RAINBOW TROUT

Submitted to: Animal Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: August 18, 2006
Publication Date: December 1, 2006
Citation: Palti, Y., Rodriguez, F., Vallejo, R.L., Rexroad III, C.E. 2006. Mapping of toll like receptor (TLR) genes in rainbow trout. Animal Genetics 37(6):597-598.

Interpretive Summary: The U.S. salmonid aquaculture industry suffers severe economic loss to diseases. Every year, viral and bacterial epidemics in farmed Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout have resulted in production losses of greater than 90% accounting for millions of dollars of lost revenue. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of transmembrane proteins that recognize conserved pathogen structures to induce innate immune effector molecules. In vertebrates, TLRs can distinguish among classes of pathogens and serve an important role in orchestrating the appropriate adaptive immune responses. Detailed mapping and gene annotation of TLR genes in rainbow trout and the development of genetic markers for the different TLR genes will provide useful tools for genetic improvement of disease resistance in rainbow trout and other salmonids.

Technical Abstract: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of transmembrane proteins that recognize conserved pathogen structures to induce innate immune effector molecules. In vertebrates, TLRs can distinguish among classes of pathogens and serve an important role in orchestrating the appropriate adaptive immune responses. TLR3, 5 and 22 were recently identified in rainbow trout. In this report we describe the mapping of those TLRs and the discovery and mapping of an additional three TLRs with high sequence similarity to TLR20, 22 and 23. TLRs are candidate genes for disease resistance and their mapping will benefit QTL mapping and disease resistance association studies in rainbow trout and other salmonids.