MOLECULAR ASPECTS OF FISH AND MARINE BIOLOGY – serie

The zebrafish is the most important fish model in developmental and genetic analyses. This book contains 19 review articles covering a broad spectrum of topics, from development to genetic tools. The contents range from early development, the role of maternal factors and gastrulation, to tissue differentiation and organogenesis, such as development of the organizer, notochord, floor plate, nervous system, somites, muscle, skeleton and endoderm. The genetic tools cover morpholino knock-down, transgenics, fish cloning, transposons and genome evolution. The book also includes two chapters on genome mapping and embryonic stem cells in medaka, another important model fish. Summarizing the state-of-the-art studies of the zebrafish model and focusing on the molecular aspects of development, this book is a valuable reference for students learning the basic aspects of the zebrafish model, and for researchers seeking resources in zebrafish research.

Antifreeze proteins enable organisms to avoid freezing under extreme conditions. The greatest diversity of known antifreeze proteins is in teleost fish and much work has gone into the understanding of these proteins and their applications.Antifreeze proteins are an exciting model system for the study of protein–surface(ice) interaction. They have served as unique model structures in protein science and they are also useful tools in the study of fish physiology and behavior. Their emergence in some fish species has even provided a rare glimpse of de novo protein evolution in action.To cover the diverse aspects of fish antifreeze study, a wide spectrum of researchers have been selected to write clear and comprehensive articles on different areas of antifreeze research. This book should be a very useful and informative resource for life science researchers.

The important volume summarizes the current trends and developments in the study of bacterial and viral fish diseases. Books on these subjects are few and relevant review articles are mostly outdated. This volume will thus serve as a platform for scientists and aquaculturists to understand the current limitations as well as new developments so that fish health and disease control can advance to new heights.The first section provides readers with an overview of the bacterial and viral diseases and the current understanding of innate immunity and interactions with pathogens. Section II includes case studies, where three pathogens are presented, namely two bacteria (Aeromonas hydrophila and Vibrio anguillarum, the common causes of bacterial diseases in freshwater and marine aquaculture, respectively) and the white spot syndrome virus (an important viral disease in shrimp). These case studies serve as models for the study of various bacterial and viral diseases. Section III presents new platform technologies that are widely used in the study of human pathogens. It aims to spur fish biologists to use modern and cutting edge technologies for their studies so that the study of fish disease can move into the mainstream and focus on the basics. The final section is on marine biotechnology, discussing biotechnology products that are urgently needed for the aquaculture industry — spin-offs from basic research, including diagnostics, immunotherapy and vaccine development, and the use of probiotics.