Microbial Ecology of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Fish and the Potential Application of Prebiotics and Probiotics in Finfish Aquaculture

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The need for enhanced disease resistance, feed efficiency, and growth performance of cultured organisms is substantial for various sectors of this industry. If growth performance and feed efficiency are increased in commercial aquaculture, then the costs of production are likely to be reduced. Also if more fish are able to resist disease and survive until they are of marketable size, the subsequent cost of medication and overall production costs would be reduced drastically. It has been documented in a number of food animals that gastrointestinal microbiota play important roles in affecting the nutrition and health of the host organism. Thus, various means of altering the intestinal microbiota to achieve favorable effects such as enhancing growth, digestion, immunity, and disease resistance of the host organism have been investigated in various terrestrial livestock as well as in humans. Dietary supplementation of prebiotcs, which are classified as non‐digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by stimulating growth and/or activity of a limited number of health‐promoting bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacter spp. in the intestine, while limiting potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli, have been reported to favorably affect various terrestrial species; however, such information is extremely limited to date for aquatic organisms. Effects of probiotics, defined as live microbial feed supplements, on gastrointestinal microbiota have been studied in some fishes, but the primary application of microbial manipulations in aquaculture has been to alter the composition of the aquatic medium. In general, the gastrointestinal microbiota of fishes including those produced in aquaculture has been poorly characterized, especially the anaerobic microbiota. Therefore, more detailed studies of the microbial community of cultured fish are needed to potentially enhance the effectiveness of prebiotic and probiotic supplementation. This review summarizes and evaluates current knowledge of intestinal microbial ecology of fishes, the various functions of this intestinal microbial community, and the potential for further application of prebiotics and probiotics in aquaculture.     

Expression of Perilipin 2 (PLIN2) in Porcine Oocytes During Maturation

Perilipins have been reported to limit the interaction of lipases with neutral lipids within the droplets, thereby regulating neutral lipid accumulation and utilization. This study aimed to identify the location and expression of PLIN1 and PLIN2 in porcine oocytes during maturation. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), immunostaining and Western blot methods were used to characterize the expression and distribution patterns of PLIN1 and PLIN2 in porcine oocytes. The results showed that PLIN1 was not detectable in porcine oocytes. PLIN2 and BODIPY 493/503‐detected neutral lipid droplets appeared identical distribution patterns and extensive colocalization in both GV and MII porcine oocytes. PLIN2 protein expression was higher in GV oocytes than that in MII oocytes (p < 0.05), although PLIN2 mRNA expression was similar in both groups. These findings suggested that PLIN2 was a major lipid droplet‐associated protein in porcine oocytes.     

Chromosome and plasmid-encoded N-acyl homoserine lactones produced by Agrobacterium vitis wildtype and mutants that differ in their interactions with grape and tobacco

Agrobacterium vitis causes crown gall disease on grapevines. It also induces a specific necrosis on grape roots and a hypersensitive response (HR) on tobacco that are regulated by a complex quorum-sensing regulatory system. Strain F2/5 produces at least six N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) that function as signal molecules in quorum-sensing. The AHLs differ in acyl side chain length (8–16 carbons) as determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Mutant derivatives of F2/5 differ in ability to cause necrosis and the HR and show variable AHL profiles as determined by a thin-layer chromatography/biosensor assay. All wildtype A. vitis strains revealed the presence of long-chain AHLs regardless of tumorigenicity or ability to cause the HR. Whereas genes encoding long-chain AHLs are predicted to reside on the F2/5 chromosome, the determinants for short-chain AHLs were shown to be located on conjugal plasmids.     

Aggressiveness of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines isolates to soybean and hypersensitivity responses by other plants

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines ( Xag ) causes bacterial pustule disease which can significantly reduce the production of soybean. A collection of 26 isolates of Xag from different soybean-production areas of Thailand was shown to differ with regard to aggressiveness on soybean. They also differed in their ability to induce a hypersensitive response (HR) on four cultivars of tobacco and on other plant species including pepper, tomato, cucumber, pea and sesame. Tomato was most sensitive to HR induction by Xag . Isolate KU-P-34017 caused an HR on all the plant species tested. The minimal concentration of KU-P-34017 needed to induce HR on tobacco was approximately 5 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹. A bacterium–plant interaction period of at least 2·5 h was necessary for HR, and different temperatures, relative humidity and light periods did not affect HR development. Inhibitors of eukaryotic metabolism, including cobalt chloride, lanthanum chloride and sodium orthovanadate (completely), and cycloheximide (partially) blocked the HR on tobacco, indicating the association of an active plant response. In contrast, the HR on tomato was inhibited only by cobalt chloride.     

Ecology of larval blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) in the Mississippi River

Abstract –  Ecology of larval blue sucker, Cycleptus elongatus , a North American catostomid that has declined throughout its range, is poorly known because larvae have rarely been sampled. A total of 316 young blue suckers (16.0–39.0 mm total length) was captured over 3 years at 14 off-channel sites in Pool 25, Mississippi River. Blue suckers demonstrated distinct temporal and spatial abundance patterns. Blue suckers were only captured in late May/early June, and were more abundant during a year of little flooding. Abundance was correlated with the distance a site was from the main channel, being highest in island borders and island sloughs in proximity to the channel. Fish guts contained a relatively high biomass of chironomids and zooplankton, suggesting islands were providing suitable feeding opportunities. Because of their proximity to flows, slack waters provided by islands were accessible to blue sucker larvae dispersing from channel spawning areas and facilitated their development into rheophilic juveniles.