June 1, 2009

A bacteria-killing enzyme is helping salmon to keep itself fresh, according to a new doctoral dissertation, reports Norwegian Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ltd (Nofima).

The work is based on an idea to increase the effectiveness of the animal's natural immune response to bacteria.

All animals and humans have an enzyme called lysozymes, which are an important part of the immune system. The lysozymes have the ability to "eat" and kill bacterial cell walls, and ndications suggest that this enzyme is different in fish than land animals.

Nofima researcher Peter Kyomuhendo, has in the course of his doctoral project studied the properties and structure of such lysozymes from salmon to find and understand the differences in detail.

The findings show that lysozymes in salmon, as opposed to lysozymes in animals, are not stopped by a special immune substance in the bacteria, which can be attributed to differences in the shape and charging of the lysozymes.