Vitellogenin in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus): Induction of two forms by estradiol,quantification in plasma and characterization in oocyte extract

Two forms of vitellogenin were isolated by DEAE agarose ion-exchange chromatography from plasma of the tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus. The monomers have apparent molecular masses of 200 and 130 kDa, as indicated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and a total amount of phosphorus of 1.7 and 0.1%, respectively. Antibodies specific to the two forms, designated tVTG-200 and tVTG-130, were generated in rabbits and used to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and in Western blot analyses of plasma and oocyte extract. SDS-PAGE of the oocyte extract showed a major protein band at 106.6, minor bands at 26.6, 24.2, and 23.7 kDa, and very faint bands at 83.4 and 17.5 kDa. Western blots of the oocyte extract revealed that the antiserum to tVTG-200 recognized strongly the protein bands at 24.2 and 23.7 kDa, and less strongly the bands at 25.1 and 22.6 kDa, whereas the antiserum to tVTG-130 recognized mainly the protein band at 106.6 kDa. The presence of both VTGs in untreated male tilapia was detected with the ELISAs using relatively high plasma volumes. Their presence in males was confirmed by VTG-like immunoreactive materials eluting from the ion-exchange column at the same positions as tVTG-200 and tVTG-130. The concentrations of the VTGs in males were several orders of magnitude lower than in vitellogenic females. Treatment of male tilapia with estradiol-17β (E₂) induced both VTGs within 24h. After 7 days, tVTG-130 reached a maximum concentration in plasma, whereas tVTG-200 continued to increase. Our findings demonstrate that the two vitellogenins are biochemically distinct, possibly differentially regulated, and made by both sexes.     

Immunization of grouper, Epinephelus coioides, confers protection against a protozoan parasite, Cryptocaryon irritans

The present study aimed to determine whether protection is conferred by immunization of grouper, Epinephelus coioides, against a protozoan parasite, Cryptocaryon irritans. The immunization of E. coioides was carried out by a low level exposure of fish to live C. irritans theronts from predetermined number of tomonts and by an intraperitoneal injection of a vaccine consisting of formalin-killed C. irritans theronts.

Mucus titers detected by ELISA were significantly higher in fingerling and adult grouper subjected to the low level of exposure to C. irritans theronts at 3-week post-exposure compared to fish that had no previous exposure. In addition, significantly smaller tomonts were produced from adult grouper after three successive exposures than the tomonts produced after a single exposure to the parasite.

In the vaccine-immunization experiment, no mortality was monitored in fish that received high dose vaccine (100 μg/fish), while 40% cumulative mortality and 100% cumulative mortality were recorded in low dose group (10 μg/fish) and control group (PBS-injected), respectively. In the succeeding replicate, the vaccine-immunized group (high dose) had 37.5% cumulative mortality and 100% cumulative mortality for the control. In addition, a total of 1830 tomonts were collected at 5-day post-challenge from the control group while none from the vaccine-immunized group. Significantly fewer trophonts and tomonts were enumerated at 5-day and 7-day post-challenge, respectively, in the vaccine-immunized group than the control.

Results suggest that a protective immunity has been conferred on the immunized grouper as indicated by high antibody titers in the mucus of C. irritans-exposed fish and higher survival and fewer parasites in vaccine-immunized fish than the control groups. The conferred immunity played a major role in preventing or limiting the adhesion, invasion, and development of C. irritans theronts on the skin of the immunized grouper.     

Validation of diagnostic assays to screen broodstock for Flavobacterium psychrophilum infections

It is hypothesized that the frequency of bacterial coldwater disease outbreaks can be reduced through the detection of the aetiologic agent, Flavobacterium psychrophilum, in broodstock followed by culling of eggs from heavily infected broodstock. Before a culling programme can be instituted, however, it is necessary to determine the sensitivity and specificity of existing assays for the detection of F. psychrophilum. In this study, tissue and ovarian fluid samples were collected from 224 fish at five hatcheries and screened using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a membrane‐filtration fluorescent antibody test (MF‐FAT), bacteriological culture and nested PCR. Latent class analysis was used to estimate sensitivity and specificity of kidney culture, kidney ELISA, nested PCR and MF‐FAT. Analytical sensitivity of the ELISA varied but was greatest when bacteria were cultured under iron‐limiting conditions. Diagnostic sensitivity estimates ranged from 0.02 (kidney culture) to 0.97 (kidney ELISA). Specificity estimates ranged from 0.02 (MF‐FAT) to 0.98 (kidney ELISA). In a separate challenge experiment, the ELISA confirmed the presence of F. psychrophilum in sub‐clinically infected fish. Results from this study demonstrate that the ELISA is an appropriate tool to screen broodstock and provides an indication of infection severity, which is crucial for implementation of a screening/culling programme.     

Validation,use, and disadvantages of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits for detection of cortisol in channel catfish,largemouth bass,red pacu,and golden shiners

Measurement of cortisol response is an important tool to asses stress in fisheries research. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is a common method for the measure of cortisol in fish. Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to detect cortisol would eliminate health hazards, costs of handling radioisotopes, and the short stability time associated with RIA. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays have been used for the determination of cortisol in several fish species. However, the ELISA method of cortisol determination in fish lacks proper validation testing. We conducted validation procedures for multiple commercial cortisol ELISA kits and compared the results to RIA. The assays were tested for four species: (1) channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, (2) largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, (3) red pacu Piaractus brachypomus, and (4) golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas. We evaluated the ELISA methods against RIA, and determined that at least one kit is suitable (accuracy: mean recovery of spiked samples, 102.8%; reproducibility: interassay coefficient of variation < 10.5% for all species; precision: intra-assay coefficient of variation < 16.8% for all species; linearity: R ² > 0.96 for all species) for the measurement of cortisol response in fish and comparative determination of stress. All of the ELISA assay results varied by more than 10% from the cortisol concentrations detected by the RIA. The high variability of the kit results indicates that commercial ELISA kits could be utilized for qualitative determination of cortisol in fish, but should be fully validated in each laboratory for each species before being used for research.     

酶联免疫(ELISA)法测定水产品中呋喃唑酮代谢物AOZ的残留

采用MaxsignalTM AOZ快速检测试剂盒检测水产品中呋喃唑酮代谢物。通过对精密度、回收率和检测限等项目的测定,验证了方法的可行性。呋喃唑酮代谢物标准液在0．05ng／mL～4．5ng／mL范围内具有良好的线性,微孔板孔间变异系数为3．2％～7．7％。样品批内变异系数为5．2％～8．4％,批间变异系数为6．3％～8．9％,平均回收率为94．5％～98．4％。试剂盒的理论检测下限为0．05μg／Kg。该方法灵敏度高,重复性好,适用于水产品中呋喃唑酮代谢物残留的检测。     

间接ELISA法研究嗜水气单胞菌对鳗鲡表皮黏液的黏附特性

采用间接ELISA法研究菌浓度、孵育时间、温度、pH、阳离子及碳源等因子对嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)黏附鳗鲡(Anguilla anguilla)表皮黏液的影响。结果表明, 改良后的间接ELISA法的检测灵敏度约为9.92×10⁴ CFU, 细菌的黏附量随菌浓度的升高而逐渐增大并符合饱和黏附动力学方程: y=0.135ln(x)-0.936(R²= 0.986); 嗜水气单胞菌黏附鳗鲡表皮黏液的最佳条件为: 温度20~28℃, pH 6.2~6.6, NaCl、MgCl₂质量浓度分别为15~25 g/L和3 g/L, 孵育时间为150 min。碳源对嗜水气单胞菌的黏附作用有不同程度的影响, 葡萄糖和麦芽糖能显著提高嗜水气单胞菌的黏附量(P<0. 05), 果糖则显著降低嗜水气单胞菌的黏附量(P<0. 05)。以上结果说明, 嗜水气单胞菌对鳗鲡表皮黏液具有较强的黏附作用, 且其黏附作用具有可控性。

     

鲤细胞因子多克隆抗体的制备及检测

为从蛋白质水平研究细胞因子在鲤体内免疫应答过程中的合成变化,本研究采用PCR技术克隆TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12、IL-10和TGF-β基因含有部分抗原决定簇的片段,引入双酶切位点Bam HⅠ和HindⅢ后连接至p ET-32a/21a,构建相应的表达载体,制备多克隆抗体。采用ELISA检测抗体效价,并以此作为实验工具,检测经嗜水气单胞菌感染后鲤血清中炎性细胞因子的合成变化。结果显示,基因TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12、IL-10和TGF-β融合蛋白分子量分别约为31.8、31.7、35.3、32.5、18.0和33.6 ku;抗体效价达到2.4×106;在病原菌感染后的不同阶段,促炎细胞因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12和抗炎细胞因子IL-10、TGF-β呈现出不同的合成变化。研究表明,制备的抗体具有较高的效价、亲和力和特异性,可用于鲤细胞因子的定量研究,该抗体的获得为鲤免疫应答与细胞因子合成的系统研究奠定了基础。同时,获取的鲤细胞因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12、IL-10和TGF-β的抗体亦可用于其他鱼类细胞因子蛋白质水平的定量研究。     

溶藻弧菌单克隆抗体的制备及应用

小鼠骨髓瘤细胞系SP2/0与经溶藻弧菌(1.1587)免疫的BALB3/C雌鼠脾细胞在PEG条件下融合,有45.8%的培养孔有杂交瘤细胞生长,其培养上清液抗体阳性率为77.4%.经反复有限稀释法克隆杂交瘤细胞,获得7株抗溶藻弧菌的单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞株,分别为AC1-C9,AC1-C11,BB4-D4,AD1-A3,AD1-F3,AD2-E7,AD2-F7.取AD1-F3扩大培养,注射小鼠,制备了抗溶藻弧菌的单克隆抗体腹水,滴度为11000.该腹水与其他3株溶藻弧菌菌株有强交叉反应,与其他13株标准菌株无交叉反应.利用制备的单抗腹水,建立了检测溶藻弧菌的单抗-ELISA技术.该反应系统可应用于溶藻弧菌的快速诊断,反应时间为6-7h,检测灵敏度为104cells·-1.并利用该检测方法进行了11份待测菌样本溶藻弧菌的检测.     

Effect of ABA,arginine and sucrose on protein content of date palm somatic embryos

Abscisic acid (ABA), arginine and sucrose were evaluated for their effects on the morphology, germination rates and protein content of date palm somatic embryos (SE). Different concentrations of these supplements in the culture medium were used. The comparative study of SE length and thickness between treated and untreated SE revealed no differences, except for ABA (20 μM), which increased thickness. A decrease of water content (WC) in favor of an increase in dry weight (DW) was observed in all treated SE, especially with sucrose (90 g l⁻¹) and ABA (20 μM). Only ABA (20 and 4 μM) caused a proliferation rate of the cultures higher than those in the control. Although all the tested compounds increased protein content, ABA (20 μM) was more effective in protein enrichment than arginine and sucrose treatments. The SDS-PAGE protein profiles showed a significant difference between treated and untreated SE. A protein band of 22 kDa, identified as glutelin in a previous work, was accumulated after treatment with 20 μM ABA or 3 mM arginine. These findings may contribute to further understanding of the mechanisms involved in the accumulation of specific storage proteins in several plants.