European eel Anguilla anguilla to thermal stress

The changes in bacteriolytic and proteolytic activities of skin cathepsins L and B were studied Ž . in thermal-stressed European eel Anguilla anguilla . When fish were kept in 108C water, all activities increased to reach maximum levels at Day 8 with varying increasing rates of 3.0 Ž . Ž . Ž . proteolysis , 4.2 lysis of FlaÕobacterium columnare , 5.7 lysis of Vibrio anguillarum and 7.8 Ž . lysis of Edwardsiella tarda fold. High water temperature at 308C also induced marked increases Ž . Ž . in these activities, and the increasing rates were evaluated as 1.5 bacteriolysis –2.0 proteolysis fold higher than those at 108C. Results show a high sensitivity of eel skin cathepsins in bacteriolysis and proteolysis to thermal stress. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.