SAPROLEGNIASIS DISEASE, CAUSED BYSAPROLEGNIA PARASITICA(SP) AND RELATED SAPROLEGNIA OOMYCETE SPECIES, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTION LOSS FROM HATCH TO HARVEST IN FRESHWATER FISH AQUACULTURE. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE LIMITED METHODS FOR TREATING THIS DISEASE. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE METAL-ION METABOLISM AND METALLOBIOLOGY OFS. PARASITICA. IT IS OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS THAT DISRUPTINGSPMETAL-ION HOMEOSTASIS WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON GROWTH AND VIRULENCE. THEREFORE, THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE UNDERSTANDING HOWSPREGULATES THE CELLULAR UPTAKE OF COPPER, IRON AND MANGANESE IONS,INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL OF METAL-BINDING CHEMICALS TO DISRUPTSPCELLULAR HOMEOSTASIS,AND IDENTIFYINGSPGENES THAT ARE UPREGULATED IN EARLY STAGES OF FISH (RAINBOW TROUT AND CHANNEL CATFISH) EGG COLONIZATION. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY NEW METHODS TO SUPPRESSSPGROWTH AND DISCOVER CANDIDATE PATHWAYS TO TARGET FOR FUTURE DRUG DEVELOPMENT. ULTIMATELY, IMPROVING OUR ABILITY TO FIGHT SAPROLEGNIASIS DISEASE WILL IMPROVE AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH AND BOOST PRODUCTION OUTPUT.