Linking ontogeny and tissue regeneration: a study on tissue damage and wound healing in carp in connection to the developmental stage.

The immune system in vertebrates develops in sequential steps during the ontogeny. The very early immune response is characterised by a non-specific innate response, while later in development an adaptive memory-based response is acquired. Since the immune system has a significant role in wound healing and tissue regeneration, the developmental stage of the individual may influence the immune reaction initiated following damage and thus the proliferative responses, which usually cross-talk with the immune system. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is an excellent fish specie to study tissue regeneration since its genome is well-described and it is easy visually to follow the wound healing. In this study, carps were physically damaged in the musculature using sterile needles at day 10, 16, 24, 47 and 94 post hatch. Muscle tissue samples were subsequently taken at day 1, 3 and 7 post damage for further analysis by quantitative real-time PCR. The results are on-going, but gene-expression results on genes coding for the inflammatory response and proliferation / tissue regeneration from the different sampling points will be presented in order to examine the influences of the developmental stage.