Identification and Detection of the Pathogenic Bacteria Responsible for Swollen Abdomen Disease in Cultured Turbot,Scophthalmus maximus,and Flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus

Swollen abdomen disease (SAD) seriously threatens the aquaculture of turbots and flounders. Two dominant bacterial strains, FS1 and FS2, were isolated from the livers and kidneys of fish with diagnosed SAD. Applications of biochemical analyses, sequence analyses of 16S ribosomal RNA gene and heat shock protein 60 gene revealed two distinct pathogenic bacterial species, Edwardsiella tarda and Vibrio alginolyticus. These two hypothesized SAD‐causing pathogens were validated by challenge trials on flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Challenges with E. tarda and V. alginolyticus demonstrated lethal dose 50 (LD₅₀) values at 1.51 × 10⁵ colony‐forming units (CFU) and 1.05 × 10⁵ CFU, respectively. To develop a rapid SAD diagnosis method in flounders and turbots, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay method was developed to simultaneously detect E. tarda and V. alginolyticus. Our multiplex PCR assay successfully detected as low as 10⁵ CFU/mL E. tarda and V. alginolyticus in flounders and turbots. No other common fish pathogens were detected with the multiplex PCR, suggesting a high specificity of this assay. The multiplex PCR assay developed in this study showed a great reliability in detecting SAD‐causing bacterial pathogens. Further optimization of this assay may contribute to the development of a novel SAD diagnosis tool in aquaculture.     

Development of novel aptamer‐based enzyme‐linked apta‐sorbent assay (ELASA) for rapid detection of mariculture pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus

As the major opportunistic pathogen to both marine animals and humans, Vibrio alginolyticus (V. alginolyticus) has caused heavy economic losses to mariculture. ssDNA aptamer VA2 targeting live V. alginolyticus was generated by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technology in our previous study. In this study, we first developed aptamer (VA2)‐based enzyme‐linked apta‐sorbent assay (VA2‐ELASA) for rapid detection of mariculture pathogen V. alginolyticus. The VA2‐ELASA could achieve the rapid detection for V. alginolyticus infection with high specificity and sensitivity. The VA2‐ELASA could specifically identify V. alginolyticus, but not other non‐target bacterial strains. VA2‐ELASA could detect V. alginolyticus at the concentration of 5 × 10⁴/ml, the incubation time short to 1 min and the incubation temperature as high as 45°C, which proved sensitivity and stability of the novel VA2‐ELASA in this study. It took less than one hour to accomplish the detection process by VA2‐ELASA. The characteristics of specificity, sensitivity and easy operation make VA2‐ELASA a novel useful technology for the rapid diagnosis of pathogen V. alginolyticus in mariculture.     

Identification of Vibrio harveyi,Vibrio ichthyoenteri,and Photobacterium damselae isolated from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus in Korea by multiplex PCR developed using the rpoB gene

Major fish bacterial diseases in Korea are edwardsiellosis, streptococcosis, and vibriosis. Among vibrionaceae, Listonella anguillarum, Vibrio harveyi, V. ichthyoenteri, and Photobacterium damselae were identified as causative organisms of vibriosis in flounder. In this study, we developed a multiplex PCR method using the RNA polymerase β subunit (rpoB) gene, known as a housekeeping gene for identification of Vibrio spp. causing vibriosis in flounder. Three pairs of PCR primers were designed based on the rpoB sequence of three species, V. harveyi, V. ichthyoenteri, and P. damselae. The PCR assay, using a mixture of six primers, yielded amplicons of 601, 434, and 533 bp in V. harveyi, V. ichthyoenteri, and P. damselae. None of the untargeted species yielded an amplicon. The detection limits for pure culture in kidney were 2.5 × 10⁴ cfu/g kidney for V. harveyi, 2.5 × 10⁵ cfu/g kidney for V. ichthyoenteri, and 2.5 × 10⁶ cfu/g kidney for P. damselae. From the colonies on TCBS agar plates of different samples, 632 Vibrio spp. isolated from aquacultured flounder between 2004 and 2010 were identified by the multiplex PCR method. As a result, 265 strains (41.9 %) were V. ichthyoenteri; 115 strains (18.2 %) were V. harveyi and 72 strains (11.4 %) were P. damselae.     

Rapid and sensitive detection of Vibrio harveyi by loop‐mediated isothermal amplification combined with lateral flow dipstick targeted to vhhP2 gene

Vibrio harveyi is a causative agent of the Vibriosis or luminescent bacterial disease in worldwide aquaculture industry. A reliable assay for identification of V. harveyi infection is important to prevent the bacterial spread. In this study, biotinylated loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) amplicons were produced by a set of four designed primers that recognized specifically the V. harveyi vhhP2 gene, encoding a putative outer membrane protein with unknown function, followed by hybridization with an fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐labelled probe and lateral flow dipstick (LFD) detection. A novel set of PCR primer was also designed specifically to vhhP2 gene and appear to be a species‐specific tool for V. harveyi detection. The optimized time and temperature conditions for the LAMP assay were 90 min at 65°C. The LAMP‐LFD and PCR methods accurately identified 22 isolates of V. harveyi but did not detect 16 non‐harveyi Vibrio isolates, and 34 non‐Vibrio bacterial isolates. The sensitivity of LAMP‐LFD for V. harveyi detection in pure culture was 1.1 × 10² CFU mL^?1 or equivalent to 0.6 CFU per reaction, while that of PCR was 6 CFU per reaction. For spiked shrimp sample, the sensitivity of LAMP was 1.8 × 10³ CFU g^?1 or equivalent to 5 CFU per reaction, while that of PCR was 50 CFU per reaction. In conclusion, the established LAMP‐LFD methods provided a valuable tool for rapid identification of V. harveyi and can be used to distinguish V. harveyi from V. campbellii.     

Identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Seafood by Multiplex PCR

ABSTRACT

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a human pathogen frequently found in seafood. Once the seafood is contaminated by V. parahaemolyticus, it can become a vehicle for foodborne illness. The conventional culture methods for detection of V. parahaemolyticus are time-consuming and cannot differentiate pathogenic strains from nonpathogenic ones. In this study, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was investigated for detecting tdh, chiA, and toxR of V. parahaemolyticus. The sensitivity of the multiplex PCR was determined by testing 28 strains of V. parahaemolyticus, 15 non-V. parahaemolyticus strains, and fresh seafood spiked with cells of V. parahaemolyticus. All the strains were analyzed for production of thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and chitinase. This study showed that both the chiA and toxR are excellent markers for detecting V. parahaemolyticus strains, and a multiplex PCR targeting chiA and tdh genes can be applied to simultaneously detect environmental and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus.     

半滑舌鳎溃疡病病原菌的分离、鉴定及其致病性分析

采用2216E和TCBS培养基分别从患溃疡病半滑舌鳎的肠道和体表病灶分离获得菌株40株,经血平板检验分离菌株的溶血活性,体外筛选并鉴定出3株潜在致病性菌株,即哈维氏弧菌、溶藻弧菌以及副溶血性弧菌。通过将3株潜在致病菌与健康半滑舌鳎的肠道上皮细胞共培养,检测病原菌刺激后半滑舌鳎肠道上皮细胞相关免疫基因的相对表达量及共培养后肠道上皮细胞的凋亡率,对病原菌的致病性进行细胞水平的筛选。结果显示,经哈维氏弧菌刺激后肠道上皮细胞白介素10基因(IL-10)表达量极显著上调,说明哈维氏弧菌引起的共培养上皮细胞免疫反应最为剧烈,且哈维氏弧菌与肠道上皮细胞共培养后导致细胞的凋亡率高达48.3%,其次为溶藻弧菌(36%)和副溶血性弧菌(34.5%),推测哈维氏弧菌为半滑舌鳎溃疡病高致病性弧菌。通过对半滑舌鳎进行浸浴回感实验,结果发现,哈维氏弧菌、溶藻弧菌和副溶血性弧菌人工回感后第6天半滑舌鳎的累计死亡率分别为100%、95%和75%,与细胞水平检测结果相吻合。实验表明,所筛选到的3株弧菌均具有较强的毒性和致病性,尤其以哈维氏弧菌致病性最强,并由此推测半滑舌鳎溃疡病可能由多种致病菌共同感染所致。     

Identification of novel immunogenic proteins of Vibrio alginolyticus by immunoproteomic methodologies

Vibrio alginolyticus is one of the most serious diseases in cultured marine and freshwater fish and shellfish. The absence of suitable vaccine or virulent marker can be the bottleneck to control V. alginolyticus infection. In this study, immunoproteomic approaches were undertaken to study the immunogenicity of the whole‐cell protein of V. alginolyticus HY9901. The whole‐cell proteins were analysed by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and subsequent immunoblotting using the rabbit anti‐V. alginolyticus HY9901 serum. A total of 55 immunogenic proteins were identified by immunoproteomic analysis. Of the 55 proteins, 51 are specific immunoreactive proteins and four are nonspecific immunoreactive proteins. Furthermore, outer membrane protein N (spot 2) was used as immunogens to immunize Epinephelus coioides for investigation of protective abilities and activities. The E. coioides immunized with OmpN has abilities to fight against infections caused by V. alginolyticus. The other novel immunogenic proteins may be developed as alternative antigens for further study of V. alginolyticus vaccine and diagnostics. These data show that immunoproteomics methods can be successfully applied in identifying immunogenic proteins of V. alginolyticus, which helps to search for the protective antigens in future.     

Isolation and characterization of pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus from diseased postlarval abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta (Lischke)

Outbreaks of serious mortality among cultured abalone postlarvae have occurred across Southern China since July 2002. Five motile bacterial strains were isolated from diseased abalone postlarvae on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 1% NaCl (TSA1) and/or thiosulphate citrate bile salt (TCBS) sucrose agar plates during an outbreak in August 2003 in Shanwei, Guangdong province. All isolates were characterized and identified as Vibrio alginolyticus on the basis of biochemical characteristics and comparisons with those of the reference strain V. alginolyticus ATCC 17749. Strain 19 (a representative of five similar isolates) was virulent to abalone postlarvae with an LD₅₀ value of1.00 × 10⁴ colony‐forming units mL^?1. All abalone postlarvae exhibited the same signs as in natural outbreaks. The same bacterium could be re‐isolated from abalone postlarvae after bacterial challenge using TSA1 and TCBS plates. The results reveal that V. alginolyticus is an infectious agent of abalone postlarvae.     

Development of a two‐step,non‐probed multiplex real‐time PCR for surveilling Vibrio anguillarum in seawater

Vibrio anguillarum is an aggressive and halophilic bacterial pathogen most commonly originating from seawater. Vibrio anguillarum presence in fisheries and aquaculture facilities causes significant morbidity and mortality among aquaculture species primarily from haemorrhaging of the body and skin of the infected fish that eventually leads to death, collectively recognized as the disease vibriosis. This study served to develop a non‐probe, multiplex real‐time PCR assay to rapidly detect V. anguillarum presence in seawater. Specific primers targeting genes vah1, empA and rpoN of V. anguillarum were selected for multiplex reaction among 11 different primer sets and the extension step was eliminated. Primer concentration, denaturation time as well as annealing time and temperature of DNA amplification were optimized, thus reducing reaction duration. The two‐step, non‐probed multiplex real‐time PCR set forth by this study detects as little as 3 CFU mL^?1 of V. anguillarum presence in sea water, without enrichment cultivation, in 70 min with molecular precision and includes melting curve confirmation.     

Cloning,expression of Vibrio alginolyticus outer membrane protein‐OmpU gene and its potential application as vaccine in crimson snapper,Lutjanus erythropterus Bloch

The outer membrane proteins of the marine aquatic animal pathogen, Vibrio alginolyticus, play an important role in the virulence of the bacterium and are potential candidates for vaccine development. In this study, the gene encoding an outer membrane protein‐OmpU was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits against the purified recombinant OmpU, and the reaction of the antibody was confirmed by Western blotting using the isolated OmpU and the recombinant OmpU of V. alginolyticus. To analyze the immunogenicity of the recombinant OmpU, crimson snapper, Lutjanus erythropterus Bloch, were immunized by intraperitoneal injection, and antibody response was assessed by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results demonstrated that the recombinant OmpU produced an observable antibody response in all sera of the vaccinated fish. The vaccinated fish were challenged by virulent V. alginolyticus and observed to have high resistance to infection. These results indicate that the recombinant OmpU is an effective vaccine candidate against V. alginolyticus in L. erythropterus.     

致病性嗜水气单胞菌多重PCR检测方法的建立

致病性嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)是近年中国各地大规模流行的淡水养殖鱼类暴发性疾病的主要病原,本研究针对GenBank中登录的致病性嗜水气单胞菌的气溶素基因(hlyA)、溶血素基因(aerA)以及为气单胞菌属所特有的内参照基因16S rRNA保守区设计了3对特异性引物,通过进行多重PCR反应体系优化,多重PCR产物的测序鉴定与特异性和敏感性实验,试图建立一种检测致病性嗜水气单胞菌的多重PCR检测方法。对8株嗜水气单胞菌、16株相关菌株进行多重PCR检测,结果显示,非致病性分离株均未扩增出毒力基因hlyA和aerA,而致病性分离株则至少含有hlyA基因;对40份送检的水产动物样品进行多重PCR检测,结果与常规微生物学检测符合率为97.5%。多重PCR检测方法具有较高的敏感性与特异性,最低可检测模板量为10 ng的样品。该方法的建立对水产动物嗜水气单胞菌病的快速诊断和分子流行病学的调查有重要意义。     

2株溶藻弧菌烈性噬菌体的分离鉴定及其生物学特性

为寻找并丰富溶藻弧菌噬菌体资源,实验以溶藻弧菌VAHN1为宿主菌,采用双层平板法从海南虾塘水样及福建海产品样本中分离溶藻弧菌噬菌体。通过透射电镜、限制性内切酶及构建发育树等方法对所获溶藻弧菌噬菌体进行分类鉴定;同时分析其生理生化性能。结果显示,本研究分离获得2株溶藻弧菌噬菌体VAP9与VAP21,其噬菌斑均清晰透亮,直径约1.5～2.0 mm。2株噬菌体核酸均为双链DNA,于透射电镜下可见其头部均呈正二十面体结构,2株噬菌体均属肌尾噬菌体科。噬菌体VAP9与VAP21对理化环境具有良好的耐受性;VAP9最适pH为6～8,VAP21最适pH为7～11;2株噬菌体可耐受通用杀菌浓度的过氧乙酸,且对氯仿与乙醚不敏感,同时对紫外线具有一定耐受性。2株噬菌体的最佳感染复数均为0.001,对供试溶藻弧菌的裂解率达95.2%,可裂解部分副溶血性弧菌,但无法裂解除溶藻弧菌与副溶血性弧菌外的弧菌属、葡萄球菌属、假单胞菌属等其他种属的供试细菌。噬菌体VAP9与VAP21可高效抑制溶藻弧菌VAHN1的生长,且2株噬菌体的混合制剂对溶藻弧菌的抑制效果优于单株噬菌体。将噬菌体VAP9及VAP21保守蛋白序列于N...     

cel-EIIB蛋白调控罗非鱼无乳链球菌强毒、弱毒株毒力相关基因的表达模式

罗非鱼无乳链球菌纤维二糖-磷酸转移酶系统（cel-PTS）的EIIB蛋白对强毒株毒力影响有限，但对弱毒株毒力似乎存在潜在的影响，但具体机制仍不清晰，有必要弄清该蛋白调控强、弱毒株的毒力相关基因表达模式。在前期研究中，通过同源重组技术，构建了无乳链球菌强毒株cel-EIIB基因缺失株，本研究通过类似的方法，获得弱毒株该基因的缺失株。用无乳链球菌强毒、弱毒株及它们的cel-EIIB缺失株分别感染斑马鱼，结果显示，cel-EIIB缺失后，导致弱毒株毒力明显返强，而强毒株毒力则轻微减弱。qPCR检测发现，cel-EIIB缺失可致cel-PTS系统的cel-EIIA、双组分信号转导系统（TCS）的DltR和CiaH以及毒力基因sodA、cpsD和cpsG在强、弱毒株中呈现相反的表达模式；此外，TCS系统的RgfC、DltS和CsrR以及毒力基因cspA和pavA在强毒突变株中表达未受影响，但在弱毒突变株中的表达却显著上调。研究揭示，EIIB蛋白可能通过调控上述毒力相关基因表达而负调控弱毒菌株的毒力。     

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is a potential virulence factor of Vibrio alginolyticus strains isolated from diseased fish

Vibrio alginolyticus is one of the most serious causative agents of diseases in cultured marine fish and shellfish. However, the characteristics of virulence factors in pathogenic V. alginolyticus are poorly known. To gain insight into fish diseases caused by V. alginolyticus, we carried out two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify uniquely expressed proteins in the disease-causing V. alginolyticus. V. alginolyticus strains were isolated from marine environments and diseased fish obtained from southern Thailand. We identified seven unique proteins in the disease-causing V. alginolyticus strain. Among those, the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) had the strongest expression. Therefore, the function of this protein was further analysed. To investigate the role of OmpA protein, an in-frame deletion mutant of ompA was constructed using the homologous recombination method. Although the ompA mutant V. alginolyticus strain (ΔompA) grew normally, the mutant exhibited a significant defect in the swarming ability and the biofilm formation. Furthermore, Galleria mellonella larvae injected with the mutant bacteria had a significantly greater survival percentage than those injected with the wild-type strain, demonstrating that OmpA protein is required for the pathogenicity of V. alginolyticus. Together, this study suggests a potential target for vaccine development against pathogenic V. alginolyticus strain.     

创伤弧菌物种特异性检测靶标基因的发掘及评价

实验根据GenBank公布的细菌全基因组数据,采用比较基因组学分析创伤弧菌与其它细菌基因组间的差异,筛选出34个潜在的创伤弧菌物种特异性检测靶标基因,其中VV1_2692、VV2_0075和VV2_0939这3个基因已有功能注释.常规PCR扩增结果显示这3个基因均具有良好的特异性和灵敏度.进而以这3个基因和传统靶基因vvhA作为检测靶标,采用常规PCR技术检测来自杭州市农贸市场的137份海产品中创伤弧菌,发现VV2_0075、VV2_0939和vvhA基因的检测结果与传统生化鉴定方法一致,表明新发掘的VV2_0075和VV2_0939基因在对海产品中创伤弧菌检测时具有很好的稳定性和很强的抗干扰能力.在137份海产品中创伤弧菌的检出率为28.5％,其中牡蛎的检出率最高(68％),表明杭州市农贸市场售卖的海产品,尤其是牡蛎中的创伤弧菌污染现状严重,应加强对杭州市海产品中创伤弧菌污染状况的监测.     

Selection and characterization of ssDNA aptamers specifically recognizing pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus

Vibrio alginolyticus (V. alginolyticus) is a major opportunistic pathogen to both marine animals and humans, which has also caused heavy economic losses to mariculture. The aim of this study was to develop highly specific aptamers for V. alginolyticus. Single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers with high binding affinity to viable V. alginolyticus were generated by Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) and identified by flow cytometric analysis in this study. The selected aptamers showed high specificity for V. alginolyticus and low apparent binding for other bacteria. The aptamers formed distinct stem‐loop structures, which could form the basis of aptamers’ specific binding to the target V. alginolyticus. Aptamer VA2 and VA8 showed particularly high binding affinity constant (Kd) of 14.31 ± 4.26 and 90.00 ± 13.51 nM, respectively. The aptamers produced no cytotoxic effects in vitro and in vivo. ssDNA aptamers were successfully selected against the viable bacteria pathogen V. alginolyticus by SELEX. The aptamers selected in this study could be not only applied as specific chemical molecular probes for studying V. alginolyticus pathogenesis to Trachinotus ovatus, but also developing rapid convenient diagnosis assay for V. alginolyticus infection, even when applied to the complex sample matrix, such as food and environment samples.     

A selective and differential medium for Vibrio alginolyticus

In this paper, we present a selective and differential medium, termed Vibrio alginolyticus (VAL) agar, developed for the isolation and identification of V. alginolyticus. The presence of bile salts, high salinity and high incubation temperature allows the selective growth of moderately halophilic Vibrio species. Differentiation of bacteria is achieved by identifying species capable of sucrose fermentation, made visible by the pH indicator bromocresol purple. In this study, all of the 26 strains of V. alginolyticus and only three of the 99 strains representing 30 species (including 19 Vibrio species) other than V. alginolyticus were able to grow in the VAL medium. The remaining three strains could be further differentiated from V. alginolyticus according to colour or the diameter of colonies produced on VAL agar plates. Colonies isolated from shellfish rearing water and infected shrimp through the use of VAL agar plates were all positively identified as V. alginolyticus by conventional tests and 16S rDNA sequencing. The testing of specificity and differentiation capability of VAL shows the potential of the agar as a medium for the primary isolation of V. alginolyticus from pathological and environmental samples.     

The role of rpoS in the regulation of Vibrio alginolyticus virulence and the response to diverse stresses

Vibrio alginolyticus is a leading aquatic pathogen, causing huge losses to aquaculture. rpoS has been proven to play a variety of important roles in stress response and virulence in several bacteria. In our previous study, upon treatment with Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺ and low pH, the expression levels of rpoS were downregulated as assessed by RNA‐seq, while impaired adhesion ability was observed, indicating that rpoS might play roles in the regulation of adhesion. In the present study, the RNAi technology was used to knockdown rpoS in V. alginolyticus. In comparison with wild‐type V. alginolyticus, RNAi‐treated bacteria showed significantly impaired abilities of adhesion, growth, haemolytic, biofilm production, movement and virulence. Meanwhile, alterations of temperature, salinity, pH and starvation starkly affected rpoS expression. The present data suggested that rpoS is a critical regulator of virulence in V. alginolyticus; in addition, rpoS regulates bacterial adhesion in response to temperature, pH and nutrient content changes. These are helpful to explore its pathogenic mechanism and provide reference for disease control.     

Development of a novel PCR assay based on the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region for the detection of Lactococcus garvieae

Lactococcus garvieae is recognized as an emerging pathogen in fish. Several PCR‐based methods have been developed for the detection and identification of L. garvieae; however, the sensitivity of these methods is still in question regarding the discrimination of this organism from other closely related species. Two primers, ITSLg30F and ITSLg319R, were designed from the sequence in the 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and used for the specific detection of L. garvieae. L. garvieae strains including fish isolates were positive by this method. In contrast, previously developed PCR methods showed false‐positive results with non‐L. garvieae species. Our results indicate that a PCR method using the newly designed ITS primer set provides a sensitive and efficient tool for the detection of L. garvieae in fish and aquaculture environments.