Detection and characterization of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida infection in crucian carp Carassius auratus

Veterinary Research Communications - Aeromonas salmonicida is one of the most important pathogens in salmonids and non-salmonids species. Nevertheless, very little was reported in cyprinids about...     

Variants of a genomic island in Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida link isolates with their geographical origins

Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is a fish pathogen. Analysis of its genomic characteristics is required to determine the worldwide distribution of the various populations of this bacterium. Genomic alignments between the 01-B526 pathogenic strain and the A449 reference strain have revealed a 51-kb chromosomal insertion in 01-B526. This insertion (AsaGEI1a) has been identified as a new genomic island (GEI) bearing prophage genes. PCR assays were used to detect this GEI in a collection of 139 A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida isolates. Three forms of this GEI (AsaGEI1a, AsaGEI1b, AsaGEI2a) are now known based on this analysis and the sequencing of the genomes of seven additional isolates. A new prophage (prophage 3) associated with AsaGEI2a was also discovered. Each GEI appeared to be strongly associated with a specific geographic region. AsaGEI1a and AsaGEI2a were exclusively found in North American isolates, except for one European isolate bearing AsaGEI2a. The majority of the isolates bearing AsaGEI1b or no GEI were from Europe. Prophage 3 has also a particular geographic distribution and was found only in North American isolates. We demonstrated that A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida possesses unsuspected elements of genomic heterogeneity that could be used as indicators to determine the geographic origins of isolates of this bacterium.     

全鱼基因在鲫鱼体内的整合与转录

以鲤鱼金属硫蛋白启动子与大麻哈鱼生长激素基因重组的融合全鱼基因（ｃｏｍｍｏｎｃａｒｐｍｅｔａｌｏｔｈ－ｉｏｎｅｉｎｐｒｏｍｏｔｅｒａｎｄｔｒｏｕｔｓａｌｍｏｎｇｒｏｗｔｈｈｏｒｍｏｎｅｇｅｎｅ，ｃＭＴｓＧＨ）为外源基因，通过显微注射法将其线性片段导入鲫鱼受精卵内，研究了其整合与转录效率。结果表明，全鱼基因在鲫鱼基因组中的整合率为３６．４％（１６／４４），对转基因鱼阳性的ＲＮＡ样本进行Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ印迹杂交检测，转录率为２５％（１／４）。由此认为，该全鱼基因可以作为转基因鱼研究和应用的外源基因。     

Development and evaluation of a multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of Flavobacterium psychrophilum, Yersinia ruckeri and Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida in culture fisheries

Bacterial cold water disease, enteric red mouth disease and frunculosis are the common bacterial diseases of fish worldwide. The etiologic agents of these diseases are Flavobacterium (F.) psychrophilum, Yersinia (Y.) ruckeri and Aeromonas (A.) salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, respectively. In this study, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (m-PCR) method with YER8/10-Fer3/4-FP1/3 primer pairs which can identify these fish pathogens simultaneously was developed and optimized. In optimized conditions, neither false specific nor nonspecific amplification occurred. The detection limits of the m-PCR method using DNA extracts from dilutions of pure cultures of bacteria were 35 pg for Y. ruckeri and F. psychrophilum and 70 pg for A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. It was determined that 15 CFU Y. ruckeri and F. psychrophilum and 30 CFU A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida could be detected by m-PCR developed using genomic DNA extracted from dilutions of the suspensions. The detection limits in the presence of tissue debris were 125 CFU for Y. ruckeri and F. psychrophilum and 250 CFU for A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. In conclusion, we submit that the m-PCR method developed and optimized in this study can be used for accurate and rapid identification of these bacteria.     

美洲红点鲑嗜水气单胞菌的分离鉴定及药敏试验

为预防和治疗在美洲红点鲑中暴发嗜水气单胞菌病提供实验依据。从患病美洲红点鲑的鳃及肠等病灶部位分离到一株细菌,经回归试验均出现与自然病例相似的症状,并分离到革兰染色和生理生化特性结果与原菌株相同的细菌。结果表明,该菌为短杆状,两端钝圆的革兰阴性菌,与D-葡糖酸、丙二酸和葡萄糖等反应呈阳性,而与黏菌素、七叶苷和L-阿拉伯糖等反应呈阴性,结合16S rRNA基因序列分析结果,该菌与嗜水气单胞菌的亲缘关系最近,鉴定为嗜水气单胞菌。对其进行药敏试验,结果对氨苄西林、环丙沙星和头孢唑啉等药物表现出耐药,对阿米卡星和亚胺培南等药物敏感。本试验首次从美洲红点鲑中分离出嗜水气单胞菌,并得到16种高度敏感的药物,同时阐明了嗜水气单胞菌在美洲红点鲑中的发病症状。     

鲫腹水症病原菌分离鉴定及药敏试验

从河南新乡某养殖场患腹水症的鲫鱼体内分离纯化获得1株细菌,编号为CA1618,通过细菌形态学观察、Biolog微生物鉴定系统,进一步采用PCR方法扩增其16SrDNA序列分析。结果表明CA1618菌株为革兰阴性杆菌,利用葡萄糖、麦芽糖、半乳糖、海藻糖等多种碳源,与Aeromonas sobria特征同源性为0.575、遗传距离为6.226;测序获得16SrDNA序列片段为1 363bp,与Aeromonas sobria序列同源性为99%~100%,构建系统发育树表明与模式菌株Aeromonas sobria ATCC43979T(GenBank登录号:X74683)亲缘关系最近,最终鉴定为温和气单胞菌(Aeromonas sobria)。CA1618菌株人工感染鲫鱼半数致死量(LD50)为1.55×10~7 CFU/mL,药敏试验显示对头孢哌酮、头孢噻肟、头孢克肟、萘啶酸、诺氟沙星、复方新诺明、四环素、氯霉素等抗生素敏感。     

彭泽鲫葡萄糖激酶基因全长cDNA克隆及表达分析

本试验采用RT-PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增(RACE)方法克隆获得了彭泽鲫(Carassius auratus var.Pengze)葡萄糖激酶(GK)基因全长cDNA序列.结果表明,该cDNA全长2 050 bp,含1个1 43l bp的开放阅读框(ORF),编码476个氨基酸,GK蛋白计算分子量为53.78 ku...     

In vitro studies of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) foregut: tissue responses and evidence of protection against Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida epithelial damage

Probiotic bacteria increase the host health status and protect mucosal tissue against pathogen-caused damage in mammalian models. Using an in vitro (intestinal sac) method this study aimed to address (a) the in vitro ability of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis to remain in the gastrointestinal tract of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and (b) its ability to prevent cellular damage caused by successive incubation with Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida the causative agent of furunculosis. Short in vitro incubation of salmon foregut with (TRITC)-labelled L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis showed that the probiont was able to colonize the enterocyte surface as studied by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, foregut incubated with the probiotic bacteria only, resulted in a healthy intestinal barrier whereas exposure to A. salmonicida disrupted its integrity. However, pre-treatment of salmon intestine with L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis prevented Aeromonas damaging effects. These results are promising in the context of the use of non-autochthonous probiotic bacteria as prophylactic agents against fish bacterial infections in the gastrointestinal tract.     

鲤鱼出血病病原体鉴定及其疫苗

从具有出血症状的鲤鱼肝中分离出一株嗜水气单胞菌,能使实验鲤鱼发生出血症,鉴定为此种疾病的病原,在疾病流行季节中给鲤鱼口服以此株细菌制成的饵料吸附型疫勒后有８８．９％鱼生存,而未服用疫苗的只生存６１．７％。     

A comparison of total and specific immunoglobulin levels in healthy Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and in salmon naturally infected with Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes.

Healthy Atlantic salmon and salmon with a history of chronic natural Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes infection were compared with respect to total serum protein and the concentration and specificity of serum immunoglobulin. The immunoglobulin level was measured using competitive ELISA and the specific antibody activity against Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes was measured using double sandwich ELISA. Significant elevation of serum protein and immunoglobulin concentration was observed in the infected salmon compared with the healthy fish. This was accompanied by weak anti-A. salmonicida activity in the infected fish which seemed to contribute to the raised immunoglobulin level to only a limited degree.     

饲料中亚麻籽替代部分大豆油对异育银鲫鱼苗生长性能、肌肉组成及血清生化指标的影响

本试验旨在研究饲料中亚麻籽替代部分大豆油对异育银鲫鱼苗生长性能、肌肉组成及血清生化指标的影响。选择平均体重(14.32±0.02)g的异育银鲫336尾,随机分为4个组,每组3个重复,每个重复放鱼28尾。Ⅰ组为对照组,饲喂基础饲料;Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组分别饲喂用2.40%、4.80%和7.20%亚麻籽替代基础饲料中16.67%、33.33%和50.00%大豆油的试验饲料。试验期63 d。结果表明:1)饲料中亚麻籽替代部分大豆油对异育银鲫生长性能无显著影响(P>0.05)。2)各组鱼体肌肉水分、粗脂肪、粗灰分含量无显著差异(P>0.05),Ⅲ、Ⅳ组鱼体肌肉粗蛋白质含量显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。3)各组血清谷草转氨酶、碱性磷酸酶活性及甘油三酯、皮质醇、总蛋白、白蛋白、球蛋白含量无显著差异(P>0.05),Ⅲ、Ⅳ组血清葡萄糖含量显著低于对照组(P<0.05),Ⅲ、Ⅳ组血清胆固醇含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。因此,从生产上来看,亚麻籽替代大豆油在异育银鲫鱼苗饲料中的用量以不超过2.40%为宜。     

Cloning and Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of the Ampicillin Resistance Gene on a Conjugative R Plasmid from the Fish Pathogen Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida

Abstract

Transferable resistance to various drugs was investigated in strains of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida from Japan. Drug resistance was transferred via two plasmids of 100 and 50 kilobases (kb) or three plasmids of 100, 50, and 40 kb. Resistance to ampicillin was transferred on the 50-kb plasmid. An ampicillin resistance gene in the 50-kb plasmid pPDP8517 from strain PP8517 was cloned from a 1.8-kb Hinc II fragment of the plasmid. The nucleotide sequence of the coding and flanking region of the ampicillin resistance gene was determined to be 1,736 base pairs. The nucleotide sequence identified an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 282 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 31,292 daltons. The ampicillin resistance gene's ORF was found to be a β-lactamase bearing low levels of amino acid identities (<63%) relative to other β-lactamases. This ORF was very high in amino acid identities with class A β-lactamases compared with those of class B, C, and D β-lactamases. Four important structural features were conserved in all class A β-lactamases present in the deduced amino acid sequence of the ampicillin resistance gene. These results suggest that the P. damselae subsp. piscicida ampicillin resistance gene is a class A β-lactamase encoded on an R plasmid that is distinctly different from other known β-lactamases. Moreover, Southern blot analysis suggested that P. damselae strains with the ampicillin resistance gene are widely distributed in marine fish farms in the Kyushu area in Japan.     

Host factors associated with the detection of Aeromonas salmonicida and Yersinia ruckeri in Ontario, Canada government fish hatcheries

This paper presents an epidemiological investigation of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Fish Health Laboratory data from 1981 to 1997, to determine whether fish species and age were associated with lot-level detection of Aeromonas salmonicida and Yersinia ruckeri in hatchery fish. In stepwise logistic regression, the species brook trout and back-cross (lake trout crossed with the hybrid “splake”) were more likely to test A. salmonicida-positive compared to all other species reared in the hatcheries. Similarly, the species brook trout was significantly more likely to test Y. ruckeri-positive compared to all other species. For both pathogens, the 1–5-month age group was associated significantly with detection. These findings suggest that purposive sampling of higher-risk fish lots could increase the likelihood of detecting both study pathogens.     

Identification of a cyprinid fish, the tench Tinca tinca L., as a carrier of the bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida, causative agent of furunculosis in salmonids.

A typical, pigment-producing strain of Aeromonas salmonicida (A. sal.), the causative agent of furunculosis in salmonid fish species, was isolated from a cyprinid species, the tench Tinca tinca L. with papilloma-like skin alterations. Histopathology of the papilloma-like skin alterations in tench revealed "round holes", distinctly lined by thick layers of epithelial cells, but no bacteria. The organism was isolated from skin, gills and fins, but not internal organs. The isolate proved highly virulent for both juvenile tench and brown trout Salmo trutta L. in experimental infection, but it did not reproduce the clinical picture. The causative role of A. sal. for the surface lesions remains questionable. However, there is a perceived risk of the organism's transmission between tench and other susceptible species of fish, especially farmed trout.     

Nature of Aeromonas salmonicida Carriage on Asymptomatic Rainbow Trout Maintained in a Culture System with Recirculating Water and Fluidized Sand Biofilters

Abstract

An asymptomatic carrier population of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss was examined for Aeromonas salmonicida by primary dilution counts on Coomassie Brilliant Blue agar and also by streaking on bacteriological media after a 24–48-h pre-enrichment in tryptic soy broth. The pathogen was detected by primary dilution plate counts in 1 spleen, 15 gill, and 19 mucus samples of the 100 trout examined. Aerornonas samonicida was detected only after 48-h preenrichment in the one spleen that had already tested positive via primary dilution counts. The pathogen was not detected in kidney, liver, and intestinal samples. The occurrence of the pathogen in mucus and gills suggests a predominantly external nature of asymptomatic carriage of A. salmonicida within this population of fish. Repeated examination of fluidized biofilters and tank water showed that A. salmonicida did not become established in the recirculation system.     

Bacterial isolation, immunological response, and histopathological lesions during the early subclinical phase of experimental infection of goat kids with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

The diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection is difficult, especially in the early stages of disease. This is due to the long incubation period, the variable lag phase associated with bacterial proliferation, and the multifocal distribution of slowly developing lesions. There are few previous studies of the early stages of experimental paratuberculosis in goats. In the present study, the ability of conventional diagnostic methods to detect M. a. paratuberculosis infection during the early stages of infection was assessed. Eight goat kids were experimentally infected with M. a. paratuberculosis and subjected to a series of immunological and bacteriological tests before being euthanatized at various times postinfection. At postmortem examination, the ages of the kids ranged from 1 1/2 to 12 months. Of the eight goats infected, three had histopathological evidence of paratuberculosis. Two of these goats were positive with bacteriology, but only one was also positive with all immunological tests. One animal had a positive immunological response, but infection could not be demonstrated by bacteriologic or histopathologic examination. Histopathologic lesions were found in the jejunum, in the ileum, and in one mesenteric lymph node, but only the mesenteric lymph nodes and one retropharyngeal lymph node gave positive results following bacteriologic culture. The disparity between the localization of histopathologic lesions and bacteriologic results emphasizes the need for exhaustive sampling to confirm a diagnosis during the early phase of an infection. It also highlights the need for a better understanding of the biology of M. a. paratuberculosis and its interaction with the immune system of the host.