Resistance of pearlspot larvae,Etroplus suratensis,to redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus by immersion challenge

Viral nervous necrosis (VNN) affects more than 120 species mostly belonging to the order Perciformes. However, none of the brackishwater species belonging to the family Cichlidae under the order Perciformes are reported to be susceptible. Hence, the present experiment was undertaken to study the susceptibility of the brackishwater cichlid, pearlspot, Etroplus suratensis to NNV. Thirty‐day‐old pearlspot larvae were infected with NNV by immersion. Mortality was recorded till 14 days post‐infection, and the infected larvae were subjected to nested RT‐PCR and histology. The virus was isolated from infected larvae using SSN‐1 cells. To study the replication of the virus in vitro, primary cultured brain cells of E. suratensis and IEK cells were infected with NNV. No mortality was observed in any of the control or experimentally infected larvae. However, the experimentally infected larvae were positive for NNV by nested RT‐PCR and the virus was isolated using SSN‐1 cells. Further, the infected pearlspot brain cells and IEK cells showed cytopathic effect at second and third passage of the virus and they were positive for NNV by nested RT‐PCR. Pearlspot is relatively resistant to VNN although the virus could replicate in the larvae and in cell culture.     

Detection of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) from asymptomatic redbanded seabream,Pagrus auriga Valenciennes,and common seabream,Pagrus pagrus (L.), using a non‐destructive procedure

A non‐destructive procedure based on nested RT‐PCR and dot‐blot hybridization has been developed for the detection of asymptomatic IPNV‐carrier fish. The pair of primers designed for RT‐PCR amplified a 599‐bp fragment of the pVP2 region within the polyprotein gene, resulting in the detection of IPNV genotype III.1. The use of a nested RT‐PCR allowed the amplification of IPNV genotypes III.1 and I.2. In addition, a 191‐bp probe was designed for hybridization studies used in combination with the nested RT‐PCR. The application of the nested RT‐PCR to analyse blood samples from asymptomatic redbanded seabream, Pagrus auriga, and common seabream, P. pagrus, specimens showed a 53.1% and 77.8% prevalence of IPNV‐carriers, respectively. The combination of nested RT‐PCR and dot‐blot hybridization increased the detection rates up to 100% for redbanded seabream and 94.4% for common seabream. Therefore, the protocol described in this study is highly sensitive and specific for the detection of IPNV in asymptomatic carrier fish, and, in addition, the results demonstrate the carrier state in two newly cultured sparid species in southern Spain.     

SOST基因在淇河鲫肌间骨骨化过程中的表达研究

为探索硬化蛋白(sclerostin,SOST)基因在淇河鲫肌间骨骨化过程中的调控作用,本研究以淇河鲫仔稚鱼为研究对象,利用整体骨骼染色法对肌间骨的形态发生进行观察,并采用q RT-PCR、Western Blot和免疫组织化学技术检测SOST基因在肌间骨不同骨化阶段的m RNA和蛋白表达变化情况。结果显示,淇河鲫发育至24 dpf(day post fertilization),肌膈中出现纤维束;25 dpf髓弓小骨出现,28 dpf脉弓小骨出现,33 dpf髓弓小骨出现分叉,45 dpf肌间小骨发育完全。SOST基因在肌间骨骨化发生各阶段均有表达,23 dpf的表达量最低(P0.05),随着肌间小骨的骨化发育,SOST基因呈递增趋势,45 dpf表达量显著高于其他骨化阶段(P0.05);SOST蛋白在45 dpf时显著高于23和27 dpf(P0.05),与其他发育阶段无显著差异(P0.05)。SOST m RNA和蛋白变化趋势基本相同,都在23dpf处于最低,肌间骨全部出现后表达量达到最高,与淇河鲫肌间骨的形态发生趋势一致。因此,推测SOST与淇河鲫肌间骨骨化具有一定的相关性,可调控肌间骨的分化和形成。     

PCR‐based prevalence of a fatal reovirus of the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun) along the northern Atlantic coast of the USA

There is a need for more information on the relationship between diseases and fluctuations of wild populations of marine animals. In the case of Callinectes sapidus reovirus 1 (CsRV1, also known as RLV), there is a lack of baseline information on range, prevalence and outbreaks, from which to develop an understanding of population‐level impacts. An RT‐qPCR assay was developed that is capable of detecting 10 copies of the CsRV1 genome. In collaboration with state, federal and academic partners, blue crabs were collected from sites throughout the north‐eastern United States to assess the northern range of this pathogen. In addition, archived crab samples from the Chesapeake Bay were assessed for CsRV1 by RT‐qPCR and histology. PCR‐based assessments indicate that CsRV1 was present at all but one site. Prevalence of CsRV1 as assessed by RT‐qPCR was highly variable between locations, and CsRV1 prevalence varied between years at a given location. Mean CsRV1 prevalence as assessed by RT‐qPCR was >15% each year, and peak prevalence was 79%. The wide geographic range and highly variable prevalence of CsRV1 indicate that more study is needed to understand CsRV1 dynamics and the role the virus plays in blue crab natural mortality.     

Molecular mechanism of P450c17‐II (17, 20‐lyase) regulating gonad development in female Cynoglossus semilaevis

Cytochrome P450c17 (CYP17, 17α‐hydroxylase/17,20‐lyase) is a critical enzyme in the production of androgens and estrogens in vertebrates. A 2102 bp full‐length cDNA of P450c17‐II (CYP17A2) has been isolated from the ovary of half‐smooth tongue sole, Cynoglossus semilaevis which encodes 524 amino acids. The putative P450c17‐II enzyme shares higher sequence identity with those of teleosts than with P450c17‐I of vertebrate. The similarity between the two types of tongue sole P450c17 was 48%.Semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR analysis of spatial expression showed the enzyme was specifically expressed in the ovary and the head kidney. However, temporal expression shows that P450c17‐II can be found in the brain. Furthermore, temporal expression pattern of P450c17‐II in ovary and brain revealed developmental stage‐dependency, and ovary P450c17‐II expressed remarkably throughout the whole reproductive cycle. Otherwise, the expression pattern of P450c17‐II in head kidney indicated negative ovary development‐dependence. In addition, combined with our data on P450c17‐I, T and E₂ levels, the results further endorse the critical role of P450c17‐II during shift in steroidogenesis, suggesting that P450c17‐I and ‐II may act together to this physiological process. Based on the present study, we indicate an important role for P450c17‐II during ovarian development.     

Epitheliocystis in Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., farmed in fresh water in Ireland is associated with ‘Candidatus Clavochlamydia salmonicola’ infection

Intracellular inclusions containing chlamydia‐like organisms are frequently observed in the gill epithelial cells of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., cultured in fresh water in Ireland. In this study, the causative agent was identified in four separate freshwater sites, using 16s rRNA sequencing, as ‘Candidatus Clavochlamydia salmonicola’. Histopathology and real‐time (RT) PCR were used to further assess infections. The prevalence of infection ranged from 75–100% between sites and infection intensity was highly variable. No significant lesions were associated with these infections. As a diagnostic tool, RT‐PCR proved marginally more sensitive than histopathology. The fate of ‘Candidatus Clavochlamydia salmonicola’ in Atlantic salmon post‐seawater transfer was investigated in a 12‐week marine longitudinal study. Both RT‐PCR and histopathological examination indicate that the organism disappears from the gills 4–6 weeks post‐transfer.     

Cultural characteristics of salmonid alphaviruses – influence of cell line and temperature

Laboratory studies were carried out to investigate the cultural characteristics of salmonid alphaviruses (SAV) from Atlantic salmon (AS, Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (RT, Oncorhynchus mykiss), particularly in relation to cell line and temperature. In an initial study, SAV was isolated from 12 viraemic sera and passaged in Chinook salmon embryo (CHSE‐214) cells at 15 °C. Geometric mean titres (GMT) after initial isolation were found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) relative to those after two or four passages. Primary isolation of SAV was conducted from 12 viraemic sera (six AS and six RT) in seven different cell lines at 15 °C: CHSE‐214, rainbow trout gonad (RTG‐2), TO (derived from Atlantic salmon head kidney leucocytes), salmon head kidney (SHK‐1), blue fin‐2 (BF‐2), fat head minnow (FHM) and Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC). Overall, significant differences were found between cell lines in both the numbers of strains where growth was detected and in the GMT obtained. For both AS and RT strains, GMT values were significantly (P < 0.01) higher in both TO and BF‐2 cells relative to the others, including CHSE‐214 and RTG‐2, the cell lines conventionally used for SAV. The effects of temperature of incubation (4, 10, 15 and 20 °C) on growth in TO, CHSE‐214 and RTG‐2 were investigated. In TO and RTG‐2 growth was optimal at 15 °C, whereas in CHSE‐214 results at 10 and 15 °C were more similar. Little or no growth was detected at 4 or 20 °C.     

Impact of yellow head virus outbreaks in the whiteleg shrimp,Penaeus vannamei (Boone), in Thailand

Yellow head virus (YHV) is known as a major pathogen in the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus (Penaeus) monodon. It can also cause serious mortality in farmed whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei. However, there is no published information on the economic and/or production impact of the disease in P. vannamei. Shrimp with gross signs of YHV disease (faded body colour and 60–70% mortality) were observed in 20 study farms rearing P. vannamei in the central part of Thailand from the end of 2007 through early 2008. The estimated economic loss for these farms according to the Thai Animal Aquaculture Association was approximately US$3 million. Detailed sequence analysis of RT‐PCR amplicons from shrimp in all the study ponds revealed the presence of YHV Type 1b (YHV‐1b) alone (characterized by a 162‐bp deletion in the ORF3 region encoding the structural gene for gp116) and the absence of YHV Type 1a (YHV‐1a), the original YHV type reported from Thailand. Despite the large 162‐bp deletion (= 54 deduced amino acids) in the gp116 structural gene, histopathology of YHV‐1b infections was identical to that of YHV‐1a infections, and electron microscopy revealed that YHV‐1b virions were morphologically indistinguishable from those previously reported for YHV‐1a. In addition, an existing commercial RT‐PCR detection kit and an immunochromatographic test strip for the detection of YHV were proven to have been valid tests for both YHV‐1b and YHV‐1a. The source of the virus for these outbreaks was unlikely to have been the post‐larvae used to stock the ponds, as they were derived from domesticated specific pathogen‐free stocks free of YHV. Thus, it is possible that they originated from an unknown, natural reservoir.     

三倍体雌性虹鳟性腺发育阶段细胞色素相关基因的表达

Cyp19a1b、Cyp11a1、Cyp11b2、Cyp17a1、Hsd3b1等细胞色素相关基因能够调节硬骨鱼类性类固醇的合成,对性腺发育和性别决定产生影响。本研究以全雌三倍体虹鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)为研究对象,正常雌性二倍体虹鳟为对照,选取31~68 dpf(days post fertilization)时间段的虹鳟仔鱼脑组织,采用q RT-PCR和酶联免疫的方法研究以上几种基因的表达状况和脑芳香化酶的活性变化,以期探明导致三倍体雌性虹鳟性腺发育异常的关键原因。q RTPCR结果显示,二倍体中Cyp19a1b在30~50 dpf时表达量上调并且维持在较稳定水平,但50~56 dpf时表达量逐渐下调,之后56~68 dpf表达量持续上调;三倍体中Cyp19a1b表达量在30~35 dpf开始上调,35~47 dpf逐渐下调,47~55 dpf开始第二次上调,之后维持在较稳定水平直至68 dpf,但三倍体Cyp19a1b的表达量显著(P0.05)低于同期二倍体的。二倍体Cyp11a1表达量在34 dpf出现峰值,三倍体Cyp11a1在38 dpf时出现峰值。二倍体Hsd3b1表达量在33~42 dpf时维持在较高水平,在38 dpf时出现高峰;三倍体Hsd3b1表达量在47~59 dpf时较高,在49 dpf出现高峰。二倍体中Cyp11b2在37 dpf出现峰值,之后开始下调;三倍体在40 dpf出现峰值,之后逐渐下调,但三倍体Cyp11b2表达量显著低于同期二倍体。二倍体Cyp17a1的表达量在35~46 dpf时逐渐上升,在45 dpf时达到高峰之后直至69 dpf逐渐下降,并且维持在较为平稳的水平上;但是在相同的实验条件下未检测到同一时期三倍体Cyp17a1的表达量。酶联免疫结果显示,在40 dpf时二者的脑芳香化酶活性到达高峰,但在40~60 dpf时期,二倍体虹鳟脑芳香化酶活性显著(P0.05)高于三倍体虹鳟,尤其在45~50 dpf时,该酶活性分别较三倍体的高1.15倍和1.12倍。以上结果表明三倍体虹鳟早期性腺发育迟缓的原因之一是Cyp19a1b、Cyp11a1、Cyp11b2、Cyp17a1、Hsd3b1等基因的表达晚于二倍体,且表达量低于二倍体,造成雌二醇不能正常合成,最终导致性腺发育迟缓。     

Tissue distribution of hepatopancreatic parvo‐like virus of shrimp in freshwater rice‐field crab,Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst)

An attempt was made to determine the replication efficiency of hepatopancreatic parvo‐like virus (HPV) of shrimp in different organs of freshwater rice‐field crab Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst) using bioassay, PCR, RT‐PCR, ELISA, Western blot and q‐PCR analyses. Another attempt was made to use this crab as an alternative to penaeid shrimp for the large‐scale production of HPV. This crab was found to be highly susceptible to HPV by intramuscular injection. The systemic HPV infection was confirmed by PCR and Western blot analyses in freshwater crab. The expression of capsid protein gene in different organs of infected crab was revealed by RT‐PCR analysis. Indirect ELISA was used to quantify the capsid protein in different organs of the crab. The copy number of HPV in different organs of the infected crab was quantified by q‐PCR. The results revealed a steady decrease in C_T values in different organs of the infected crab during the course of infection. The viral inoculum that was prepared from different organs of the infected crab caused significant mortality in post‐larvae of tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius). The results revealed that this rice‐field crab could be used as an alternative host for HPV replication and also for large‐scale production of HPV.