Evidence for lack of antigenic competition among various combinations of Vibrio anguillarum, Yersinia ruckeri, Aeromonas salmonicida and Renibacterium salmoninarum bacterins when administered to salmonid fishes

Abstract. Bacterins of Vibrio anguillarum, Yersinia ruckeri, Aeromonas Salmonicida , and Renibacterum salmoninarum were administered alone and in combination to salmonid fishes and the level of protective immunity compared. With each pathogen, the protection obtained with monovalent with A. salmonicida bacterin alone conferred some protection against challenges with Type II V. anguillarum and Y. ruckeri. Also, the combination of A. salmonicida and R. salmoninarum bacterins appeared to potentiate the protection conferred against A. salmonicida. The potential of multivalent vaccines for protecting fish from several diseases appears to be real.     

The disease status of Australian salmonids: bacteria and bacterial diseases

Abstract. Eleven freshwater salmonid hatcheries in southern Australia were surveyed for bacterial pathogens and diseases between 1981 and 1985, Twenty-five populations of fish were examined in the study, representing a total of 2755 fish, from which kidney, liver, spleen, and in some cases peritoneum, blood and faeces were cultured. Bacteria of pathogenic significance isolated included Aeromonas hvdrophila, Streptococcus sp., Lactobacillus piscicola, Yersinia ruckeri, Mycobacterium fortuitum, M. chelonei and a filamentous acid-fast organism of uncertain taxonomic position. Lacto-bacillus piscicola and Streptococcus sp. were associated with clinical and subclinical peritonitis. Mycobacterium chelonei was isolated from visceral granulomas in an externally normal fish. Aeromonas salmonicida, Renibacterium salmoninarum and Edwardsiella tarda were not isolated, indicating that the diseases furunculosis, bacterial kidney disease and edwardsiellosis are exotic to Australian salmonids. Similarly, while Y. ruckeri was isolated, enteric redmouth disease had not been recorded and is considered an exotic disease.     

Bacterial pathogens in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), reared at Danish freshwater farms

During a 2-year period, bacterial fish pathogens were monitored on five rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), freshwater farms in Denmark. A total of 1206 fish were examined and 361 bacterial isolates were identified phenotypically. Enteric redmouth disease, furunculosis and rainbow trout fry syndrome/coldwater disease were recorded. Infections caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum occurred most frequently, but only one outbreak of enteric redmouth disease caused by Yersinia ruckeri serotype O1 and one of furunculosis caused by Aeromonas salmonicida were recorded during the monitoring period. Flavobacterium psychrophilum was isolated on all farms, both during disease outbreaks and from fish without any signs of disease. Serological investigations of F. psychrophilum showed that serotype Th was the dominant serotype found. The serotypes Th and Fd were involved in disease outbreaks of fry and larger fish. All isolates of F. psychrophilum showed proteolytic activities; however, a few isolates, belonging to serotype FpT did not degrade elastin and were not associated with mortality. Increasing resistance problems to oxytetracycline were demonstrated. More than half of the F. psychrophilum isolates showed resistance to oxolinic acid and oxytetracycline. No antibiotic resistant isolates were found among Y. ruckeri and A. salmonicida .     

鲁氏耶尔森菌invF基因无痕缺失突变株的构建及生物学特性

鲁氏耶尔森菌是一种具有广泛致病性的条件致病肠杆菌。三型分泌系统(T3SS)是该菌的重要毒力系统,其中invF基因是T3SS功能表达的重要调控因子。为探讨invF和T3SS对Y.ruckeri致病作用的影响,本研究构建了Y.ruckeri SC09株invF基因的无痕缺失株,并对其生物学特性进行研究。通过融合PCR方法,将invF基因的上、下游片段A、C融合,构建同源臂AC;将获得的同源臂AC连接入自杀质粒pLP12,构建pLP12-invF同源重组载体;pLP12-invF电转化进入供体菌株大肠杆菌β2163,并利用接合转移方法转入受体菌株Y.ruckeri SC09,利用抗生素正向筛选和vmt反向筛选分别对插入突变株和缺失突变株进行筛选,并利用PCR技术和序列测定对Y.ruckeri invF缺失株进行鉴定;对突变株和野生株进行菌体菌落形态观察、生化特性鉴定和生长曲线测定。结果显示,融合PCR、AC片段经氯霉素抗性正向筛选和vmt反向筛选,PCR鉴定和测序鉴定后,成功获得了Y.ruckeri SC09 invF基因的无痕缺失突变株,突变株和野生株菌体菌落形态和生化特性基本一致,突变株菌落较野生株小,各个时期突变株的生长浓度较野生株低。研究表明,采用自杀质粒pLP12和大肠杆菌β2163接合转移系统,利用抗生素正向筛选和vmt反向筛选技术,在对其基本生物学特性无显著影响的情况下,可简捷高效地获得invF基因的无痕缺失突变株。     

鲁氏耶尔森菌qPCR快速检测方法的建立和应用

鲁氏耶尔森菌(Yersinia ruckeri)是导致虹鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)肠炎红嘴病的病原。本研究以鲁氏耶尔森菌毒力因子rup A基因为靶标设计1对特异性引物,以含有rup A基因部分序列的重组质粒为标准品构建标准曲线,优化建立检测鲁氏耶尔森菌的SYBR Green I实时荧光定量PCR检测方法,并对腹腔注射鲁氏耶尔森菌菌悬液的虹鳟肝、肾、脾、血液样品进行检测。结果显示,设计的引物具有良好的种间特异性,标准曲线线性方程为y=–3.3766x+40.012(R~2=0.9958);最低检测限为57 copy/μL,较常规PCR的灵敏度高出约100倍。应用检测结果表明,本方法可准确检测被鲁氏耶尔森菌感染的虹鳟样品。研究表明,所建立的qPCR方法具有特异、灵敏、快速、定量的优点,可用于快速诊断虹鳟肠炎红嘴病早期病症及定量检测鲁氏耶尔森菌。     

Colonization in the fish intestinal tract and production of inhibitory substances in intestinal mucus and faecal extracts by Carnobacterium sp. strain K1

A non-virulent Carnobacterium sp., designated strain K1, isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., which produced inhibitory substances against bacterial fish pathogens, was examined in vitro for characteristics important for the colonization of the fish gastrointestinal tract and in vivo for persistence in the tract after oral dosing. In vitro growth experiments showed that the cells of this strain were metabolically active in both the intestinal mucus and faeces from salmonids. The production of growth inhibitors against the two common fish pathogens Vibrio anguillarum and Aeromonas salmonicida by Carnobacterium sp. strain K1 was demonstrated in vitro in mucus and faecal extracts. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the Carnobacterium cells remained viable in the gastrointestinal tract for several days and that no detrimental effect to the fish was observed as a result of the presence of the bacterium.     

The development of probiotics for the control of multiple bacterial diseases of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

JB-1 and GC2, which were equated with Bacillus sp. and Aeromonas sobria respectively, were recovered from the digestive tract of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss and ghost carp, Cyprinus sp. respectively, and demonstrated effectiveness as probiotics for the control of infections caused by Aeromonas salmonicida, Lactococcus garvieae, Streptococcus iniae, Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio ordalii and Yersinia ruckeri. When administered to rainbow trout (average weight = 12 g) for 14 days in feed dosed at 2 x 10(8) cells g(-1) of feed, JB-1 led to a reduction in mortalities to 0-13% after challenge with a range of bacterial pathogens compared to 80-100% mortalities of the controls. Similarly, use of GC2 reduced mortalities to 0-16% following the challenge compared to 80-100% mortalities of the controls. The mode of action reflected nutrition, production of inhibitory substances and stimulation of the innate immune responses. Specifically, JB-1 and especially GC2 were positive for siderophore and chitinase production, and increased lysozyme, phagocytic and respiratory burst activity.     

Molecular cloning of Yersinia ruckeri aroA gene: a useful taxonomic tool

The aroA gene of Yersinia ruckeri , which encodes 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase was cloned by complementation of the aroA mutation in Escherichia coli AB2829 by using pUC18 plasmid as a vector. Nucleotide sequence of the aroA gene revealed an open reading frame of 427 amino acids showing a high degree of homology to other bacterial AroA proteins. A pair of primers with 23 and 20 nucleotides were selected from the 5' and 3' termini, respectively, and formed the basis of a specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. A 1165-bp deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragment was amplified from all lysed Y. ruckeri strains. An identical size fragment was also amplified from lysed Y. pseudotuberculosis , Y. aldovae , Salmonella enteritidis and E. coli , but not from other enterobacteria. Alu I restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the PCR amplified products allowed for differentiation between Y. ruckeri and the other bacteria. Specificity and sensitivity make this PCR assay a useful method for rapid identification and diagnosis of Y. ruckeri infections.     

Occurrence and pathogenicity of Yersinia ruckeri at fish farms in northern and central Finland

Abstract. Salmonid fish at fish farms in northern and central Finland and perch, Perca fluviatilis L., roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), and whitefish, Coregonus sp., from four lakes in central Finland were studied between 1985 and 1990 for the occurrence of Yersinia ruckeri. The bacteria were found in fish from both areas, but in most cases, only single diseased salmon, Salmo salar L., brown trout, S. trutta L., rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), whitefish and perch were encountered and were always connected with stress conditions. One clinical outbreak occured in salmon fingerlings in northern Finland, and the fish were successfully treated with trimethoprim-sulpha. Monthly monitoring of lake fish revealed two symptomless carrier perch in two lakes. Outwith the main study a moribund perch with yersiniosis was found in a polluted lake, and for the first time in Finland, a rainbow trout was also found to have contracted yersiniosis in a small private pond. Sorbitol-positive and negative isolates have been found to occur in both moribund and carrier farmed fish, indicating that the sorbitol test is not essential when evaluating the pathogenicity of Y. ruckeri.     

Specific immunoglobulins in serum from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., immunized with Vibrio salmonicida and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus

Abstract. Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., responded to intraperitoneal injection of formalin killed Vibrio salmonicida or live infectious pancreatic necrosis virus ( ipnv ) by producing specific antibodies. The antibody titre varied significantly within the group tested. Western blot analysis demonstrated that high-titre antisera recognized two major bacterial antigens with molecular weights of 12–15 kD and 22–27 kD. In addition, a few narrow bands with higher molecular weights were observed. An antiserum raised against IPNV recognised two major antigens corresponding to the structural proteins of the virus. E lisa and Western blot analysis showed that the immune serum raised against Vibrio salmonicida reacted slightly with Vibrio anguillarum , whereas no reaction to Yersinia ruckeri or Aeromonas salmonicida was detected. Indirect elisa and an elisa competition assay revealed that the immune serum raised against the N1 serotype was specific for this serotype of ipnv . The results demonstrate that Atlantic salmon has a humoral immune system capable of producing antibodies which discriminate between related bacterial antigens and between different serotypes of a virus.     

Effects of cecropin peptides on bacteria pathogenic to fish

The antibacterial effects of synthetic cecropin B and cecropin P1 were tested against the fish-pathogenic bacteria Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio salmonicida, Aeromonas salmonicida , Edwardsiella ictaluri and Yersinia ruckeri. Both cecropins were active against all bacteria tested, but the effect was strongly influenced by the growth media used. In brain heart infusion medium, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of cecropin B ranged from 0.3 to 1.3 μ m and from 0.3 to 1.0 μ m for cecropin P1, except for E. ictaluri , which was noticeably less sensitive to cecropin P1 (61 μ m ). The present authors have compared the bactericidal activity of these two peptides, showing that the killing rate for the selected bacteria was higher for cecropin B than for cecropin P1 . V. anguillarum was the most sensitive to the cecropins, and in the present study, no colony forming units were detected after 4 and 8 min of treatment with cecropin B and P1, respectively. Electron microscopy was performed to document the effect of cecropin on the bacterial surface.     

Chemiluminescent responses of striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), phagocytes to strains of Yersinia ruckeri

Abstract. Seventeen strains of Yersinia ruckeri were examined for plasmid DNA by means of agarose gel electrophoresis of partially cleared lysates. All 10 serotype I strains examined contained a 70 Megadalton (Mdal) plasmid, whereas only one of the 7 serotype II strains examined contained a plasmid of about 2–3 Mdal. Yersinia ruckeri exhibited distinctive colonial morphology and serological reactivities which suggested a possible correlation with plasmid content. The luminol-enhanced Chemiluminescent (CL) responses of striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), phagocytes to different strains of Y. ruckeri were also studied. Some variability was observed; however, the greatest phagocyte CL responses were elicited by serotype II strains without the plasmid while serotype I strains harbouring the plasmid consistently elicited weak CL responses from phagocytes.     

Histopathology of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida infection in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.

Abstract. The histopathology of an atypical Aeromonas salmonicida found in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., is described. Unlike members of the Salmonidae, the cod showed a well-developed host reaction to A. salmonicida involving encystment of the bacteria. When Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were given an intramuscular injection with suspensions of cultures of this strain of A. salmonicida no cellular host reaction was observed. When cod were given a similar injection the bacteria showed degenerative changes, leucocytes accumulated, and cyst formation was seen in the spleen and kidney. Since cod can be infected by this organism the possibility exists that they could act as carriers, a source of infection for salmonids in saltwater cage culture or in the wild.     

Electrophoretic and immunochemical analysis of surface antigens of the fish pathogens Vibrio salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum

Abstract. Outer membranes and lipopolysaccharides of the marine fish pathogens Vibrio salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum were isolated. SDS-PAGE profiles of purified LPS preparations from V. salmonicida revealed a broad low molecular weight band, whereas V. anguillarum LPS profiles demonstrated both a low-molecular band and several weaker high-molecular weight bands. Hydrolysis of V, salmonicida and V. anguillarum LPS separating the polysaccharide chain from the lipid A part and subsequent gel-chromatography suggests a polysaccharide molecular weight of ca. 1000 ('rough type' LPS) and ca. 6000 ('smooth type' LPS), respectively. Western blot of V. salmonicida outer membrane preparations and purified lipopolysaccharides and subsequent immunostaining with mouse monoclonal antibodies was performed. Eleven out of 15 monoclonal antibodies made against V. salmonicida cells reacted with one broad antigen-band in the low molecular weight region of both outer membrane and LPS profiles, corresponding to the LPS region. The previously reported outer surface antigen, VS-P1 from V. salmonicida , was observed to carry LPS epitopes as revealed by binding of monoclonal antibodies to VS-P1 as well as purified LPS preparations. These results strongly suggest that the VS-P1 antigen is a complex of both protein and LPS molecules.     

虹鳟肠炎红嘴病病理模型的构建

为探讨鲁氏耶尔森菌侵染虹鳟的致病机制,本实验建立了鲁氏耶尔森菌感染虹鳟引起的肠炎红嘴病的病理模型,制定相应的临床症状及组织病理学评分系统,并对该模型进行研究。将43尾平均体质量约为12 g的健康虹鳟随机分成5组:3个实验组(n=30)、对照组(n=10)和哨兵组(n=3)。3个实验组分别采用2.0×106、2.0×107和2.0×108 CFU/m L的鲁氏耶尔森菌感染浓度,通过腹腔注射方式进行人工感染试验。对感染鲁氏耶尔森菌的虹鳟肠、肝脏、脾脏和肾脏组织进行镜检及临床症状、剖检病变判断,结合细菌学检测,按制定的评分系统评价各组肠炎红嘴病造模效果,确定最佳造模方案。结果显示,各攻毒组虹鳟感染后72 h均出现不同程度死亡,临床症状表现为红嘴、肛门红肿、鳍(胸鳍、腹鳍、臀鳍)等出现不同程度充血,下颌部、腹部出现出血点等。组织病理学可见肝脏、脾脏、肾脏及肠组织均有炎性细胞浸润现象出现,肝细胞、肠上皮细胞和肾小管上皮细胞等实质细胞变性、坏死,脾脏部位淋巴细胞减少、红细胞死亡堆积。综合各组得分发现,2.0×107 CFU/m L组的鲁氏耶尔森菌感染虹鳟造模效果最佳,患病虹鳟的临床症状显著且组内差异较小,病程迁延较长,便于研究。研究表明,对体质量约12 g的虹鳟幼鱼腹腔注射0.1 m L浓度为2.0×107 CFU/m L的鲁氏耶尔森菌可成功构建肠炎红嘴病病理模型。     

Immunosuppression in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, caused by the haemoflagellate Cryptobia salmositica Katz, 1951

Abstract. An experimental Cryptobia salmositica infection in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, produced suppression of the humoral response against sheep red blood cells as measured by direct haemagglutination. Two-month and 5-month infections produced equal suppression. The parasite also produced suppression of the humoral response against a bacterial pathogen, Yersinia ruckeri . Anti- Y. ritckeri titres were significantly lower in most fish infected with C. salmositica than in non-infected fish. Immunosuppression became evident when C. salmositica first appeared in the blood (first 2 weeks of infection), Immunosuppression was confirmed by challenge with Y. ruckeri . Mortality at challenge occurred in 64·3% to 83·3% of the fish already infected with C. salmositica at the time of initial Y. ruckeri exposure. There was no mortality at challenge if fish were not infected with C. salmositica at initial bacterial exposure, nor in those concurrently infected with both pathogens. Antigenic competition may have caused the immunosuppression.     

Analysis of exotoxins produced by atypical isolates of Aeromonas salmonicida,by enzymatic and serological methods

In this study, exotoxins produced by 62 Aeromonas salmonicida strains and the bacterium Haemophilus piscium were analysed. Enzymatic assays, zymograms and serological detection were used to monitor secretion by bacterial strains of the previously described exotoxins P1, GCAT and AsaP1 and also the extracellular P2 metallo-gelatinase and a serine caseinase, which is different from the P1 protease and has not yet been characterized. Based on the results, the strains were divided into five groups. One comprised the type strains for A. salmonicida ssp. masoucida, H. piscium and 36% of the atypical isolates, and another, a type strain for A. salmonicida ssp. smithia together with 14% of the atypical isolates. A second type strain of A. salmonicida ssp. smithia was grouped with 8% of the atypical isolates. The largest group contained the type strains for A. salmonicida ssp. achromogenes and 38% of the atypical isolates. The type strains for A. salmonicida ssp. salmonicida were in the last group with all the four typical strains and 4% of the atypical isolates. The combination of zymogram and serological detection used is recommended as the most reliable method for characterizing A. salmonicida strains according to their exotoxin secretion.     

Development and validation of real-time PCR for the detection of Yersinia ruckeri

Yersiniosis (enteric red mouth disease) is a contagious bacterial disease caused by Yersinia ruckeri, which primarily affects salmonids. A real-time PCR assay using a molecular beacon has been developed and validated to improve the detection of the causative biotypes of Y. ruckeri. The assay, which targets the glnA (glutamine synthetase) gene, proved to have 100% analytical specificity and analytical sensitivities of 5 fg and 3 × 10(3) CFU g(-1) for DNA and seeded kidney tissue, respectively. The assay was highly repeatable with low % CV for intra- and inter-run experiments, and the optimized parameters transferred easily between different real-time PCR platforms. Following analytical validation, diagnostic specificity was determined using New Zealand farmed Chinook salmon (n = 750) from 10 farms during 2007/08. The real-time PCR was run in parallel with the bacterial culture detection method, and all fish tested were found to be negative by both methods for Y. ruckeri, resulting in 100% diagnostic specificity (95% confidence interval). The molecular beacon real-time PCR system is specific, sensitive, reproducible and a rapid method for the detection of Y. ruckeri and has the potential to be used for routine diagnostic testing, health certification and active surveillance programmes.