KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH PROSPECTS IN MARINE MOLLUSK AND CRUSTACEAN IMMUNOLOGY

In the context of infectious diseases in mollusc and shrimp aquacultur e, research must be focused on diagnosis for zoosanitary controls but also on obtaining resistant animals. This last strategy depends heavil y on the development of knowledge about marine invertebrate immunology . With the establishment of purification protocols for the main invert ebrate pathogens, progress has been made in the study of host-pathogen interactions at cellular and molecular levels and in identifying immu ne effecters involved in the destruction of pathogens. Recent informat ion on molluscs and crustaceans is presented, concerning both hemocyte studies and cellular defence functions and humoral effecters, with sp ecial reference to their application to selection of pathogen-resistan t animals. With this aim, research prospects will essentially be devot ed to the identification and characterization of immune genes, either specific or heterologous, which could be candidates for mollusc and sh rimp genetic transformation.