Effect of mutations in carbohydrate-active enzymes on virulence of Aliivibrio salmonicida

The purpose of the current and subsequent experiments is to investigate potential role of the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAE) on virulence of Aliivibrio salmonicida in Atlantic salmon. The results of the current pilot experiment will give initial knowledge on the role of CAE in microbial pathogenesis and will set the stage for further research. The data obtained in the current experiment will be used to outline the magnitude of the effects of mutations in CAE on pathogenicity of A. salmonicida. This will allow us to estimate the minimal group sizes required for the full scale study. The pilot study will be used to optimize our sampling protocol and sample shipment routines. We have designed the pilot study in a way that will allow publication of its results as a separate research paper and thus the animals included in the study will lead to results that will benefit the intention of the study.