Stability comparison of three candidate internal reference genes in Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus)

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) as food and medicinal product has been an important aquaculture object in China. Study of gene function in the Chinese giant salamander requires accurate normalization though the use of appropriate reference genes. In this study, the expression levels of three candidate reference genes including β‐actin, GAPDH and cytb of different tissues, different developmental stages and different challenges in Chinese giant salamander were evaluated by qPCR. The stabilities of these three reference genes were analysed by geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper software. The results showed that the expression of GAPDH was more stable than that of β‐actin and cytb in four tissues and at two developmental stages of Chinese giant salamander. Compared with GAPDH and cytb, β‐actin was the most stable in spleen of Chinese giant salamander treated with LPS or GSIV. Therefore, the result showed that GAPDH was the suitable reference gene in different tissues and at different developmental stages of Chinese giant salamander. The β‐actin could be used as a reference gene in spleen of Chinese giant salamander challenged with LPS and GSIV. This study provides convincing information for the GAPDH and β‐actin as suitable reference gene in Chinese giant salamander of different tissues, different developmental stages and different challenges respectively.     

三角帆蚌外套膜表达的免疫相关基因筛选

利用三角帆蚌(Hyriopsis cumingii)外套膜cDNA文库EST序列,通过BLAST分析注释基因功能,发现35个与免疫防御功能相关的基因。根据其功能,这些免疫相关基因可划分为7类,即细胞免疫过程(2个)、蛋白酶和蛋白酶调节子(9个)、压力蛋白(7个)、抗菌肽(5个)、溶酶体酶(2个)、粘着蛋白(3个)及细胞凋亡和细胞周期调控相关基因(7个)。免疫相关基因在三角帆蚌外套膜中的广泛表达表明外套膜是重要的免疫组织。该研究为三角帆蚌外套膜分子免疫机理研究和抗病育种工作提供了基础性资料。     

Sodium alginate supplementation modulates gut microbiota,health parameters,growth performance and growth‐related gene expression in Malaysian Mahseer Tor tambroides

This study investigated the effects of sodium alginate supplementation on gut microbiota composition, health parameters, growth performances and growth‐related gene expression of Malaysian mahseer. Five test diets were formulated by supplementing 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% sodium alginate. Triplicate groups of juvenile Tor tambroides (2.19 ± 0.05 g) were stocked in 15 aquaria (20 individuals per aquarium) and fed at 3.0% body weight per day for 60 days. PCoA and UPGMA analysis showed that gut bacterial community were more convergence in higher sodium alginate‐supplemented diets. The percentage of Porphyromonadaceae, Bacteroides, Plesiomonas and Shewanella were substantially higher and Aeromonas, Entomoplasmatales and Prevotellaceae were drastically lower in higher sodium alginate (0.2%–0.8%) diets. Sodium alginate supplementation (≥0.2%) significantly improved the haematocrit value and respiratory burst activity of T. tambroides. Growth performances and feed utilization were significantly higher in 0.2%–0.4% sodium alginate‐supplemented diets. The increased growth rate of T. tambroides was governed by both hyperplastic and hypertrophic muscle growth. Real‐time PCR data demonstrated that most of the growth‐related genes were significantly upregulated in 0.2%–0.4% sodium alginate‐supplemented diet. Finally, it can be concluded that sodium alginate should be supplemented at 2 g/kg in practical fish feed formulation.     

Cloning and expression analysis of innate immune genes from red sea bream to assess different susceptibility to megalocytivirus infection

As suggested by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), fishes belonging to the genus Oplegnathus are more sensitive to megalocytivirus infection than other fish species including red sea bream (Pagrus major). To assess the roles of the innate immune response to these different susceptibilities, we cloned the genes encoding inflammatory factors including IL‐8 and COX‐2, and the antiviral factor like Mx from red sea bream for the first time and performed phylogenetic and structural analysis. Analysed expression levels of IL‐1β, IL‐8 and COX‐2 and the antiviral factor like Mx genes performed with in vivo challenge experiment showed no difference in inflammatory gene expression or respiratory burst activity between red sea bream and rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). However, the Mx gene expression levels in red sea bream were markedly higher than those in rock bream, suggesting the importance of type I interferon (IFN)‐induced proteins, particularly Mx, during megalocytivirus infection, rather than inflammation‐related genes. The in vitro challenge experiments using embryonic primary cultures derived from both fish species showed no difference in cytopathic effects (CPE), viral replication profiles, and inflammatory and Mx gene expression pattern between the two fish species.     

虾源哈维氏弧菌的致病性与生物学特性比较分析

哈维氏弧菌(Vibrio harveyi)是导致养殖对虾暴发弧菌病的重要病原之一。从我国南方养殖凡纳滨对虾(Penaeus vannamei)分离、鉴定了10株哈维氏弧菌(Vh00947、Vh00949、Vh11011、Vh11014、Vh21217、Vh21218、Vh21220、Vh21229、Vh21231和Vh31487),分别肌注感染健康凡纳滨对虾后发现,菌株Vh21229致病性很弱,Vh00949其次,其它菌株毒力较强;对8种哈维氏弧菌常见毒力基因(Vh1、Vh2、Vh3、Vh4、tox S、hcp、zot和pap6)的检测显示,南方虾源哈维氏弧菌无论强弱毒株都很少携带zot、pap6、toxs和4种Vh基因(≤10%),表明这10个菌株的致病性与这7种常见毒力因子的相关度很低;hcp基因在所有菌株中均有检出,其中强毒株中检出率较高(50%),在较弱毒株(Vh00949)中也存在,表明hcp基因与这些菌株的致病性密切相关,但不是决定性因子。因此,这10株南方虾源哈维氏弧菌菌株的致病性差异应由这8种常见毒力因子以外的未知或未检测到的因子所决定。生化特征分析显示,所有菌株中只有弱毒株Vh21229不能利用D-甘露糖、蔗糖、D-海藻糖,而且只有其赖氨酸脱羧酶反应至阳性,而其它菌株均为阴性,推测导致哈维氏弧菌菌株生化特性改变的某种因子可能对菌株的致病性也产生了影响。药敏实验表明,10株哈维氏弧菌均对环丙沙星、氯霉素、恩诺沙星、美罗培南、头孢曲松、多西环素、头孢吡肟、诺氟沙星敏感,而对氨苄西林耐受性强,表明在虾类养殖过程中应当严格规范和控制抗菌药物尤其是青霉素类药物的使用。     

刺参响应灿烂弧菌侵染差异microRNAs鉴定及靶基因分析

microRNA参与基因的转录后调控,在真核生物的生长发育、细胞分化和免疫防御等过程中发挥重要作用。刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)病害问题已成为产业发展的主要限制因素之一,而其病害发生的分子机制尚待进一步完善。本研究以刺参重大疾病“腐皮综合征”的重要致病原灿烂弧菌(Vibrios splendidus)为侵染菌株,通过人工侵染实验制备患病刺参样本,采用miRNA-seq技术对侵染组(PT16S)和对照组(PT10H)各3头刺参的体壁组织进行miRNA测序,通过相关生物信息学软件对miRNAs进行鉴定和分析,筛选差异表达miRNAs (DEmiRNAs)并预测其靶基因,构建关键调控途径的miRNA-mRNA调控网络。结果显示,PT10H组平均得到5 902 588条有效序列,194个已知miRNA和19个新的miRNA;PT16S组平均得到5 053 529条有效序列,182个已知miRNA和42个新的miRNA。对2组鉴定到的miRNA进行差异表达分析,共筛选到2个上调和11个下调的具有显著差异的DEmiRNAs (P≤0.05),上调的DEmiRNAs靶基因预测结合到3010个靶基因,注释到585个GO terms及24条信号通路(P≤0.05),下调的DEmiRNAs靶基因预测到19 072个靶基因,注释到514个GO terms以及22条信号通路(P≤0.05)。对筛选到的DEmiRNAs进行实时荧光定量PCR (qRT-PCR)验证,显示miRNA-seq与qRT-PCR的一致率达到70%。根据KEGG分析结果构建泛素介导的蛋白水解途径和Notch信号通路的miRNA-mRNA调控网络,结果显示,13个DEmiRNAs分别靶向结合134个与泛素介导的蛋白水解相关的mRNAs和109个与Notch信号通路相关的mRNAs,Aja-miR-184、Aja-miR-2478和Aja-miR-9277p等DEmiRNAs可能参与对Notch信号通路和对泛素介导的蛋白水解的调控。相关研究结果将为刺参疾病发生调控网络建立和机制解析提供依据。     

不同来源嗜水气单胞菌耐药基因检测

采用PCR方法,对分离于唐山和秦皇岛养殖场的宽体金线蛭(Whitmania pigra)、中国林蛙(Rana temporaria chensinensis)、牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)、草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellua)、青鱼(Mylopharyngodon piceus)以及鲤(Cyprinus carpio)肝脏的42株不同水产养殖动物的致病性嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)进行了4种耐药基因β-内酰胺类(TEM)、氨基糖苷类(ant(3″)-I)、磺胺类(Sul3)和四环素类(tet(A))的检测。结果表明:42株嗜水气单胞菌均100%携带TEM、ant(3″)-I和Sul3,不携带tet(A)。所检不同水产动物源嗜水气单胞菌均携带TEM、ant(3″)-I及Sul3耐药基因,从分子层面表明该致病菌多重耐药或潜在耐药严重。     

Changes in selected stress and immune‐related genes in Atlantic cod,Gadus morhua,following overcrowding

Using Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, as a model for the stress response in gadoid fish, the changes in the expression of some stress and immune genes as well as the profiles of plasma cortisol were examined. Adult fish were kept at a density of ca. 100 kg m^?3 by lowering the water level in the rearing tank for 1 h and this short‐term crowding stress was repeated thrice over a 12‐h interval period. Blood samples were collected before exposure and at 2, 24 and 72 h post crowding. Plasma cortisol level significantly increased at 2 h post crowding but returned to pre‐crowding levels 24 h after exposure. The relative expression of the stress response genes, glucose transporter‐3 and a putative heat shock protein 70 significantly increased at 2 and 24 h post crowding respectively. Significant up‐regulation of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐8, as well as anti‐bacterial genes, g‐type lysozyme and bactericidal permeability‐increasing protein/lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (BPI/LBP) was also observed at 2 h and the levels were maintained until 72 h post exposure, except for BPI/LBP which had maximum up‐regulation at 24 h. The present observations have implications with respect to fish welfare and assessment of the health status of the farmed fish.