AN ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CRUSTACEAN IMMUNITY AND DISEASES WITH ANOVERVIEW OF VERTEBRATE SYSTEM

Various innate and inbuilt mechanisms of crustacean defense disclosed so far represent the basic conservative functions and primitive landscape of their immunity in contrast to the rugged, multispeciality immune fitness landscape of vertebrates which comprise non-self antigens, antibodies, enzymes, DNA, regulatory sites and macroscopic systems namely, the entire genomic regulatory networks (Perelson & Kauffman, 1991). The pathogencity of microbes and their diverse means represent the gray areas to which more emphasis and importance be given to Crack down and down regulate their modus operandi in order to achieve success in the alleviation of crustacean diseases. Moreover, what so far delineated in crustacean immunity by piece meal studies represent only a molehill while a mountain of information and knowledge remain far from being investigated. Hence, novel strategies and approaches with modern biotechnological devices and genetic engineering tools are the desperate need of the hour to crustacean disease control and management. In this context, production of transgenic forms of shrimps and edible crabs through gene transfer and antibody engineering will go a long way to confer total resistance akin to the mammalian line against disease causing environmental agents in aqua-farms and hatcheries.