Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Durdik, Jeannine

Abstract

Fever is an evolutionary mechanism that enhances immune function, yet the molecular and metabolic responses to fever temperatures in ectothermic species remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how fever temperatures (19° C) influence macrophage function and metabolic activity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), rather than normal temperatures (16° C). Using a rainbow trout monocytic cell line, RTS11, and primary head kidney-derived macrophages (HKCs), we examined the effects of fever temperatures on nitric oxide (NO) production, gene expression, protein synthesis, and energy metabolism. We found that fever temperatures increased NO production in both cell types, with further induction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA expression in response to LPS stimulation. Additionally, fever temperatures enhanced protein synthesis in the absence of LPS activation, but no further increase was observed upon activation. Metabolic analysis showed that fever temperatures increased basal oxidative phosphorylation and proton efflux rate (PER), but LPS activation did not significantly modify these metabolic profiles. Rainbow trout macrophages primarily relied on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production, and fever temperatures resulted in a modest increase in ATP levels. These findings suggest that fever temperatures enhance innate immune responses and metabolic activity in rainbow trout macrophages, promoting immune function through increased NO production and enhanced gene expression without major shifts in metabolic pathways.

Keywords

Fever; Immunology; Rainbow trout

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