Abstract
The chemoattractant capabilities of Edwardsiella tarda extracellular products (ECP) were investigated from two isolates, the virulent FL6‐60 parent and less virulent RET‐04 mutant. Chemotaxis and chemokinesis were assayed in vitro using blind well chambers with peritoneal macrophages obtained from Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , 5 days following squalene injection. Non‐purified ECP derived from both isolates stimulated predominantly chemokinetic migration of macrophages. Additionally, the ECP were semi‐purified by high pressure liquid chromatography. The FL6‐60 parent ECP yielded higher molecular weight components than did the ECP from the RET‐04 mutant. The chemotactic activity of the macrophages for both the FL6‐60 parent and RET‐04 mutant semi‐purified ECP was increased over the non‐purified ECP and overall migration was primarily chemotactic. Exposure to ECP derived from virulent and less virulent E. tarda isolates promoted chemokinetic movement of macrophages that may be involved in inflammatory responses of Nile tilapia to E. tarda infection.