Fish slime: An answer to antibiotic resistance?

[Subsea]

So let’s Google “How does slime coat in marine fish protect against pathogens and “PARK HERE”.

“A fish's slime coat protects them from pathogens by acting as a physical barrier that traps harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the environment before they can penetrate the fish's skin, and by containing antimicrobial peptides and other compounds within the mucus that actively kill pathogens”

Key points about fish slime coat protection:

• Physical barrier:
  The slimy mucus layer physically traps microbes as the fish moves through the water, preventing them from direct contact with the skin.
  
  
• Antimicrobial compounds:
  The slime contains various antimicrobial peptides, lysozymes, and other proteins that actively kill bacteria and other pathogens.
  
  
• Constant shedding:
  The outer layer of the slime coat is regularly shed, taking trapped pathogens with it.
  
  
• Immune response support:
  The slime coat can also play a role in initiating an immune response by signaling the presence of pathogens.

Fish slime: An answer to antibiotic resistance?​

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly pressing issue for humanity. A recent study dives into the constituents of fish slime to hunt for new antibiotics.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

Fish slime: An answer to antibiotic resistance?As antibiotic resistance continues to make headlines, researchers are ramping up their search for ways to turn the tide. A recent study focuses on fish slime.​

 

[Subsea]

“Researchers from Oregon State University in Corvallis and California State University in Fullerton led the most recent foray into unexplored reservoirs of bacteria, concentrating their attention on the protective slime, or mucus, that coats fish.
The researchers recently presented their findings at the American Chemical Society Spring 2019 National Meeting & Exposition.”

Mucus versus MRSA​

“In all, the researchers isolated 47 different strains of bacteria from the mucus. Of these, five were highly effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and three were effective against Candida albicans, a fungus that is pathogenic to humans.
The slime that was from the skin of Pacific pink perch worked particularly well against MRSA, and interestingly, it also showed strong activity against colon carcinoma cells.
For future studies, Austin has chosen to hone in on one specific species of bacteria that the team found on the Pacific pink perch — Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to Austin, P. aeruginosa produces antibiotics that could be useful in the future.
For example, these bacteria produce interesting phenazines, which are a well-studiedTrusted Source group of compounds that have “broad-spectrum antibiotic properties.” Several bacterial species produce phenazines.”

 

[Subsea]

​

@Lasse​

Any thoughts on this subject?
A Cajun Aggie in Austin
And a fellow member of NATO, my fishy friend.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324837Why fish slime?
“This gloopy coating is of great use to fish because it traps and destroys pathogens in the environment, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The slime contains novel polysaccharides and peptides, some of which have antibacterial activity.
One of the researchers, Molly Austin, explains that fish mucus is particularly interesting because fish are in constant contact with a complex environment that is dense with potential microbial enemies.
As the authors write, “fish cohabitate with a multitude of bacteria and viruses but often resist deadly infections.” It is worth finding out whether fish’s protective mechanisms might also protect humans.
The marine environment remains relatively unstudied, according to the principal investigator Sandra Loesgen, Ph.D., “For us, any microbe in the marine environment that could provide a new compound is worth exploring.”
Erin (Misty) Paig-Tran, Ph.D., who is from California State University, supplied the scientists with fish mucus from both bottom-dwelling and surface-dwelling fish off the coast of California.
The team chose to focus on younger fish because they tend to have thicker mucus layers. The extra mucus is necessary because their immune systems are relatively undeveloped, which means that they need additional protection.”

 

[Fish Fan]

Plus one for @Lasse!

I'm tagging in here to see what you guys say :)

Thanks for these post :)

 

[Lasse]

I rarely refer to books, but in this case I'll make an exception. Back in 1982, TFH's publishing house published a book that has become my bible when it comes to fish physiology. Introduction to Fish Physiology by Smith, Lynwood S. (ISBN: 9780876665497). It's rare for a book published by a publishing house for aquarium literature to be used as a course book in university courses, but that's how good this book was. Today, it has become a bit outdated in some of the topics it covers, but it is still a very useful source - IMO

You can find it here. Just scroll to the left and click on the part you want to read about or make an account and read the whole book.

This has been known for a long time but we seldom think about it in this way. This is one of the reasons - IMO - why fish in newly started aquariums have a tendency to be susceptible to disease compared to older, more mature aquariums. In new aquarium the water is more "aggressive" against the mucus coat because the lack of biological molecules and colloidal organic particles in the water - IMO. A disease to me is the situation where a pathogenic microorganism is not controlled either internally or externally. The presence of a pathogen is a prerequisite for a disease, but its presence does not automatically mean that a disease will break out.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Subsea]

Because I am not the smartest fish in the pond, I emulate Nature.

The ability of the fish slim to detect & respond to invasion by pathogens is a unique point to consider.

How does the immune system know to respond with gene expression?

This is what Jay Hemdal said in response to this:

Post in thread 'Fish slime: An answer to antibiotic resistance?'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/f...o-antibiotic-resistance.1095378/post-13275169