The partial characterisation of an NFKB homologue from the South African abalone haliotis midae utilising in vivo and in vitro techniques

Abstract

Haliotis midae is an important marine gastropod that is commercially farmed along the South African coastline. The demand for the edible foot of the abalone far exceeds the supply, as such monitoring the health status of commercially farmed abalone is important if the demand is to be met. In farming conditions, bacterial infections can spread rapidly leading to mass mortalities amongst the abalone population. In order for treatment to be effective, there needs to be an effective monitoring system in place that can assess the health status of the abalone. This study sought to address these issues by identifying a candidate gene that could be an ideal biomarker with respect to a bacterial stress.