Molecular characterization and pathogenicity of a grouper iridovirus (GIV) isolated from yellow grouper, Epinephelus awoara (Temminck & Schlegel)

Molecular characterization was carried out on an iridovirus isolated from yellow grouper, Epinephelus awoara . The major capsid protein (MCP) gene was located, sequenced and compared with homologous genes from other iridoviruses. The nucleotide sequence is 1392 bases long and contains a single open reading frame beginning at an ATG codon from the 5' end and terminating at a TAA codon at the 3' end. The open reading frame encodes a protein of 463 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 50 272 Da. Pairwise amino acid alignments detected a high degree of sequence identity between grouper iridovirus (GIV) MCP and the homologous genes of other iridoviruses. The MCP gene of GIV was most similar to the MCP gene from frog virus 3 (FV3) with 70% nucleotide and 73% amino acid sequence identity. The predicted molecular weight of the protein of this gene is comparable with the apparent weight obtained by SDS–PAGE. Pathogenicity of the GIV was investigated in yellow grouper by intraperitoneal injection of 10⁷ and 10⁴ TCID₅₀ virus. Cumulative mortalities reached 100% within 11 and 25 days post-infection, respectively, while no grouper died in the control group. The molecular studies demonstrated that GIV is a member of the genus Ranavirus .     

An ecosystem-based assessment of the Korean blue crab trammel net fishery in the Yellow Sea and management implications

Landings in the blue crab, Portunus trituberculatus, fishery in Korean waters of the Yellow Sea have declined substantially from 11,000 t in the 1980s to 2,300 t in 2004. Blue crab habitat quality in the Yellow Sea has been degraded by anthropogenic activities including sand mining, land reclamation, and coastal pollution. Various traditional management measures have been implemented, including closed seasons during spawning and size limits, but these measures alone have been unsuccessful to conserve blue crab stocks. Consequently, a total allowable catch and a stock-rebuilding program using an ecosystem-based management approach were implemented in 2003 and 2006, respectively to rebuild blue crab stocks and restore habitats. This program involved assessment of both blue crab stock status and trammel-net fishery impacts at an ecosystem-level using an ecosystem-based fisheries assessment method ( [Zhang et al., 2009] and [Zhang et al., 2010]), which considered fishery data from catch and effort time-series, crab population biology, and ecosystem characteristics, including habitats and environmental conditions. Recent (2008) management status indices have shown significant positive change compared to conditions in 2000 with respect to sustainability of the stock and fishery and with regards to biodiversity and ecosystem habitat quality.     

兴凯湖翘嘴红鮊人工授精胚胎发育初步观察

兴凯湖翘嘴红人工孵化受精卵在人工条件下胚胎发育正常,水温22－24℃时,受精1h20min开始第一次卵裂,受精后12h开始形成器官,受精后28h孵化积温达到610℃时,开始出膜。刚出膜的仔鱼全长4．4-5．5mm。     

Reproductive characteristics and variations in the biochemical composition of Neptunea arthritica cumingii crosse through embryonic development

The copulation, egg laying, embryonic development and changes in amino acids and fatty acids in Neptunea arthritica cumingii during embryogenesis were studied to understand the embryo development process and nutritional requirements in the early life phase. The results showed that N. arthritica cumingii has direct development within the egg capsule and the development of embryos was classified into five stages: cleavage, egg swallowing, protoconch forming, shell development and juvenile. Embryos develop through the provision of nurse eggs as an extra‐embryonic source of nutrition. As development continued, the body of the embryo began to coil. After about 70–80 days, young N.arthritica cumingii started to emerge through a hole underneath the capsule. Biochemical results showed that the total amount of amino acids showed a decreasing trend as embryonic development progressed. The content of all nine essential amino acids decreased significantly from the egg‐swallowing stage to the post‐larva stage (p < .05). Concentrations of five of the seven nonessential amino acids also showed a decreasing trend from the egg‐swallowing stage to the post‐larva stage; the exceptions were Ala and Gly. Gly is the only amino acid that consistently increased in concentration during the development process. Most fatty acids increased after the eggs hatched, except for C20:1, C20:2, C22:5 and C22:6 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA). The data in this study may provide a starting point for the formulation of well‐balanced early‐stage larval diets, although N.arthritica cumingii is still in the exploration stage.     

Replacement of fish oil with soybean oil in diets for juvenile Chinese sucker (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Myxocyprinus asiaticus</Emphasis>): effects on liver lipid peroxidation and biochemical composition

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the replacement of fish oil (FO) by soybean oil (SO) on growth performance, liver lipid peroxidation, and biochemical composition in juvenile Chinese sucker, Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Fish (13.7 ± 0.2 g) in triplicate were fed five experimental diets in which 0% (FO as control), 40% (SO40), 60% (SO60), 80% (SO40), and 100% (SO100) FO were replaced by SO. The body weight gain of fish fed SO40, SO60, or SO80 diet was similar to FO group, but diets that have 100% soybean oil as dietary lipid significantly reduced fish growth (P < 0.05). Although the level of SO resulted in increasing crude lipid content of the liver, the level of SO did not significantly alter the hepatosomatic index (HSI). Indicators of peroxidation, such as vitamin E (V_E) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) contents, were changed as increasing dietary SO. It was shown that the inclusion of SO in the diets increased V_E concentrations, but reduced TBARS in the liver and total cholesterol (T-CHO) in the plasma. Linoleic acid (LA) and linolenic acid (LNA) significantly increased in fish liver fed diets that contained SO, but eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the ratio n-3/n-6 were significantly reduced by the inclusion of dietary SO (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that the inclusion of SO increased the hepatic V_E content and reduced lipid peroxidation in fish. However, diet containing 100% SO as dietary lipid could reduce growth performance. Thus, we recommended that 40–80% SO can be used as dietary lipid to replace FO for juvenile Chinese sucker.     

Dopamine modulates the physiological response of the tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon

Levels of glucose, lactate, pO₂, pCO₂, HCO₃⁻, TCO₂, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, protein, and oxyhemocyanin in the hemolymph and its osmolality and pH were measured when tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon (13.5 ± 1.5 g body weight), were individually injected with saline or dopamine at 10^− 8, 10^− 7, or 10^− 6 mol shrimp^− 1. Results showed that hemolymph glucose, lactate, pCO₂, HCO₃⁻, and TCO₂ values increased from 2 to 4 h; hemolymph osmolality, Na⁺, and total protein had increased at 2 h; and hemolymph K⁺ decreased from 2 to 8 h after the dopamine injection. All physiological parameters returned to the control values 4–16 h after receiving dopamine. The dopamine injection also significantly decreased the oxyhemocyanin/protein ratio of P. monodon which occurred at 2 h, resulting from an elevation of hemolymph protein and a slight decrease of oxyhemocyanin. These results suggest that stress-inducing dopamine caused a transient period of modulation of energy metabolism, osmoregulation, respiration, and the acid–base balance in P. monodon in adapting to this environmental stress.     

条纹石鮨摄食强度与代谢及能量收支间的关系

设日摄食率为０．４％、１．５％、４．０％三种水平,分别测定条纹石鱼旨Ｍｏｒｏｎｅｓａｘａｔｉｌｉｓ幼鱼的代谢及能量的收支情况。处于饱食（日摄食率４．０％）及维持状态（日摄食率１．５％）下,该鱼代谢率增加的峰值分别于摄食后３ｈ及７ｈ内出现,为静止时代谢水平的２．１０倍和２．４６倍,ＳＤＡ（特殊动力作用）持续时间均为２１ｈ,ＳＤＡ总耗能量分别占摄入能的１３％和３５．８％。条纹石鱼旨在饱食时的转化效率Ｋ（湿重）为２０．８５％。三种摄食水平下条纹石鱼旨的能量收支方程分别为：饱食状态（日摄食率４．０％）时,１００Ｃ＝８．４Ｆ＋７．８Ｕ＋１３．０ＳＤＡ＋３６．９（Ｒｓ＋Ｒａ）＋３３．９Ｇ;维持状态（日摄食率１．５％）时,１００Ｃ＝７．８Ｆ＋４．１Ｕ＋３５．８ＳＤＡ＋５２．３（Ｒｓ＋Ｒａ）,其中Ｇ＝０;减重状态（日摄食率０．４％）时,（Ｆ＋Ｕ＋Ｒ）／（Ｃ＋Ｐ１）＝６７．３％,其中Ｃ＋Ｐ１＝１４．４Ｃ＋８５．６Ｐ１,Ｆ＋Ｕ＋Ｒ＝１．８Ｆ＋８．１Ｕ＋５７．４Ｒ。     

Direct actions of serotonin on gonadotropin-II and growth hormone release from goldfish pituitary cells: interactions with gonadotropin-releasing hormone and dopamine and further evaluation of serotonin receptor specificity

In this study, the direct actions of serotonin (5HT) on gonadotropin (GTH)-II and growth hormone (GH) release in the goldfish were tested at the pituitary cell level. 5HT (10 nM - 10 µM) stimulated GTH-II but inhibited GH release from perifused goldfish pituitary cells in a dose-dependent manner. The minimal effective dose of 5HT tested to suppress basal GH secretion (10 nM) was 10-fold lower than that to stimulate GTH-II release (100 nM). The GTH-II releasing effect of 5HT was abolished by repeated 5HT treatment (10 µM) whereas the corresponding inhibition on GH release was unaffected. These results suggest that 5HT receptors on goldfish gonadotrophs and somatotrophs exhibit intrinsic differences in terms of sensitivity to stimulation and resistance to desensitization. Salmon GTH-releasing hormone (sGnRH, 100 nM) stimulated GTH-II and GH release from goldfish pituitary cells. The GTH-II releasing action of sGnRH was unaffected by simultaneous treatment of 5HT (1 µM). However, the corresponding GH response to sGnRH (100 nM) was inhibited. In the goldfish, dopamine is known to stimulate GH release through activation of pituitary D1 receptors. In the present study, the GH-releasing action of dopamine (1 µM) and the D1 agonist SKF38393 (1 µM) was significantly reduced by 5HT (1 µM). To examine the receptor specificity of 5HT action, the effects of 5HT1 and 5HT2 analogs on GTH-II and GH release were tested in goldfish pituitary cells. The 5HT1 agonist 8OH DPAT (0.1 and 1µM) and 5HT2 agonist methyl 5HT (0.1 1µM) mimicked the GTH-II releasing effect of 5HT. The 5HT1 agonist 8OH DPAT (0.1 and 1µM) also stimulated GH release but the 5HT2 agonist methyl 5HT (0.1 and 1µM) was inhibitory to basal GH secretion. In addition, 5HT (1µM) -stimulated GTH-II release was abolished by the 5HT1 antagonist methiothepin (10µM) and 5HT2 antagonist mianserin (10µM). Similarly, the inhibitory action of 5HT (1µM) on basal GH release was blocked by the 5HT2 antagonist mianserin (10µM). The 5HT1 antagonist methiothepin (10µM) was not effective in this regard. These results, taken together, indicate that 5HT exerts its regulatory actions on GTH-II and GH release in the goldfish directly at the pituitary cell level, probably through interactions with other regulators including sGnRH and dopamine. The GTH-II releasing action of 5HT is mediated through 5HT2 and possibly 5HT1 receptors. The inhibition of 5HT on basal GH release is mediated through 5HT2 receptors only. Apparently, 5HT1 receptors are not involved in this inhibitory action. In this study, a paradoxical stimulatory component of 5HT on GH release by activating 5HT1 receptors is also implicated.