Hyun-Ja Han

Atypical Aeromonas salmonicida infection in the black rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli Hilgendorf, in Korea.

Cultured black rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, suffered mass mortalities during winter 2008 and spring 2009 in Korea, showing clinical signs of ulcer lesions and haemorrhages over their body surface. The aetiological agent was identified as Aeromonas salmonicida (strains RFAS-1, -2 and -3), which is a non-pigmented, slow-growing bacterium. Phenotypes of RFAS strains showed variation, while 16S rRNA, gyrB, rpoD, dnaJ and recA gene sequences of all the strains were affiliated to A. salmonicida. In particular, vapA gene sequences of the strains were most closely related to one of the five subspecies of A. salmonicida subsp. masoucida (=KCCM 40239(T) ). LD(50) values of RFAS-1 for intraperitoneal and intramuscular injection were 1.5 × 10(5.25) and 1.5 × 10(6.4) cfu/rockfish, respectively. However, A. salmonicida strains KCCM 40239(T) and SAS-1, which originate from masou and chum salmon, respectively, were not pathogenic to black rockfish. RFAS strains, possessing A-layer protein on their surface, exhibited β-haemolytic activity against rockfish erythrocytes and capability to survive in rockfish serum, which seem to be associated with virulence.

Molecular and Histopathological Evidence of Mycobacteriosis in Paradise Fish Macropodus opercularis Imported into Korea

We report on mycobacteriosis in an imported tropical ornamental fish Macropodus opercularis commonly known as the paradise fish. Mass mortality occurred in paradise fish imported to Korea from Southeast Asia in 2008. The affected fish did not show any outward clinical signs, but enlargement of the spleen, kidneys, and liver was observed on dissection. Histopathological examination revealed numerous granulomas in the spleen, and acid-fast bacilli were observed in the centers of the granulomas. About 65% of spleen DNA samples were PCR positive using mycobacteria-specific primers targeting the 16S rRNA and hsp65 genes. The nucleotide identities of the 16S rRNA and hsp65 genes with those of Mycobacterium marinum were 99.5% and 99.4%, respectively. Although the bacterium was not cultured, the molecular diagnosis and histopathological findings were consistent with mycobacteriosis in paradise fish.

Prevalence and Characterization of Typical Aeromonas salmonicida Chum Salmon Isolates in Korea

Aeromonas salmonicida is an important fish pathogen commonly associated with furunculosis in salmonids. Typical A. salmonicida strains have the surface virulence A-layer protein, a major virulence determinant encoded by the vapA gene. In this study, 880 chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta were collected from the east coast of Korea during 2006-2011, including 560 wild adults and 320 artificially hatched fry pools, and the presence of typical A. salmonicida was examined by PCR using the typical A. salmonicida-specific vapA gene primers. The results demonstrated that 34.5% of the samples (304/880 samples) were PCR positive, implying that a typical A. salmonicida infection is highly prevalent among chum salmon in Korea. Twenty typical A. salmonicida isolates were recovered based on their brown pigmentation on Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA) plates, which indicates the existence of the A-layer protein. Further biochemical analyses with the four randomly selected typical A. salmonicida isolates revealed some variations in their amino acid decarboxylation and carbohydrate fermentation activity. A phylogenetic analysis based on the entire vapA gene sequence suggested that the A. salmonicida isolates from chum salmon were clustered with those isolated from Atlantic salmon in Europe. Further study is needed to resolve such an interesting relationship in detail.

Development and Application of Quantitative Detection Method for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) Genogroup IVa

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a problematic pathogen in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) aquaculture farms in Korea. Thus, it is necessary to develop a rapid and accurate diagnostic method to detect this virus. We developed a quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) method based on the nucleocapsid (N) gene sequence of Korean VHSV isolate (Genogroup IVa). The slope and R2 values of the primer set developed in this study were −0.2928 (96% efficiency) and 0.9979, respectively. Its comparison with viral infectivity calculated by traditional quantifying method (TCID50) showed a similar pattern of kinetic changes in vitro and in vivo. The qRT-PCR method reduced detection time compared to that of TCID50, making it a very useful tool for VHSV diagnosis.

Artificial Infection with Nocardia seriolae and the Histological Examination at Snakehead Channa argus

Snakehead, Channa argus were intraperitoneally infected with Nocardia seriolae. at the concentrations of 1.5×10 7 cfu/ or 1.5×10

An outbreak of Lactococcus garvieae Infection in Cage-cultured Red Lip Mullet Chelon haematocheilus with Green Liver Syndrome

Red lip mullet Chelon haematocheilus (body weight = 468 ± 91 g) which became sick during an outbreak of disease at mariculture facilities at Cheonsu Bay, Korea, during July–August 2013, were examined to identify the cause of the disease. Diseased mullets displayed green liver syndrome, and Lactococcus garvieae were isolated from their internal organs. Argulus sp., Trichodina sp., and/or Vibrio spp. were also discovered in some infected fish. Histopathological examination revealed that fatty liver syndrome with hepatocyte degeneration, reflected in heterokaryons, inflammatory lesions, and melanomacrophage centers (MMC S), had caused fibrosis around the kidney, spleen, and blood vessels. After the outbreak, visceral fat and green liver syndrome in the mul lets were consistently observed throughout the year in the same mariculture facilities, indicating that the cultured mullets suffered a chronic metabolic disorder. Although Vibrio spp. were also isolated from some individuals, L. garvieae, which is known to be a causative agent of red lip mullet mortality, was isolated from all diseased individuals. This is the first report of L. garvieae infection in cultured red lip mullet.

A Nematode Infection in the Epithelial Tissue of Cultured Rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in Cheonsu Bay, Western Korea

We investigated a nematode infection in the epithelial tissue of rockfish Sebastes schlegeli cultured in Cheonsu Bay, western Korea, from May 2013 to April 2014. Nematodes infected the epithelial tissues of various external organs, including the fins, operculum, nares, mouth, and head. Over a 1-year period, the overall nematode infection rate in rockfish was 55% (n

Genomic characterization of Nocardia seriolae strains isolated from diseased fish

Members of the genus Nocardia are widespread in diverse environments; a wide range of Nocardia species are known to cause nocardiosis in several animals, including cat, dog, fish, and humans. Of the pathogenic Nocardia species, N. seriolae is known to cause disease in cultured fish, resulting in major economic loss. We isolated two N. seriolae strains, CK‐14008 and EM15050, from diseased fish and sequenced their genomes using the PacBio sequencing platform. To identify their genomic features, we compared their genomes with those of other Nocardia species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that N. seriolae shares a common ancestor with a putative human pathogenic Nocardia species. Moreover, N. seriolae strains were phylogenetically divided into four clusters according to host fish families. Through genome comparison, we observed that the putative pathogenic Nocardia strains had additional genes for iron acquisition. Dozens of antibiotic resistance genes were detected in the genomes of N. seriolae strains; most of the antibiotics were involved in the inhibition of the biosynthesis of proteins or cell walls. Our results demonstrated the virulence features and antibiotic resistance of fish pathogenic N. seriolae strains at the genomic level. These results may be useful to develop strategies for the prevention of fish nocardiosis.

Molecular characterization, expression and functional analysis of peptidoglycan recognition protein-SC2 from rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus

ABSTRACT Peptidoglycan recognition proteins are members of the family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), that play important roles in the recognition of peptidoglycan and various biological processes. In this study, we have characterized peptidoglycan recognition protein‐SC2 (PGRP‐SC2) in rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) (RbPGRP‐SC2) and analysed its expression in various tissues after pathogen challenge. A sequence alignment revealed that the residues essential to zinc binding of the deduced protein were highly conserved among all the organisms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that RbPGRP‐SC2 is most closely related to the large yellow croaker PGRP‐SC2. RbPGRP‐SC2 was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues analysed, predominantly distributed in muscle and skin. After challenge with microbial pathogens (Edwardsiella piscicida), Streptococcus iniae or red seabream iridovirus [RSIV]), RbPGRP‐SC2 was up‐regulated in all the tissues examined, especially in liver. We produced recombinant RbPGRP‐SC2 (rRbPGRP‐SC2) using an Escherichia coli expression system. The rRbPGRP‐SC2 had agglutination activity towards both Gram‐negative (E. piscicida) and Gram‐positive bacteria (S. iniae). In addition, rRbPGRP‐SC2 induced leukocyte apoptosis and promoted leukocyte phagocytosis. These results suggest that the RbPGRP‐SC2 plays an important role in the immune system and in maintaining cellular homeostasis of rock bream. HighlightsPeptidoglycan recognition protein‐SC2 from rock bream was identified and characterized.RbPGRP‐SC2 was highly expressed in muscle and skin of healthy rock bream.RbPGRP‐SC2 was up‐regulated in the fish infected with pathogens, especially in liver.rRbPGRP‐SC2 can agglutinate pathogens, induce leukocyte apoptosis, and promote phagocytosis of pathogens.

The first report of CD2 associated protein gene, in a teleost (Rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus): An investigation of the immune response upon infection with several pathogens

Abstract CD2 is expressed on the surfaces of virtually all T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. In mammals, the CD2 molecule is 50 kDa. The cytoplasmic tail of CD2 interacts with CD2‐associated protein (CD2AP), which plays an important role in mediating the trigger signal in outer magnetic pole cells. In this study, we identified CD2AP from rock bream and investigated its gene expression. The ORF of CD2AP (1950 bp) encodes 650 amino acids (aa). CD2AP has a Src homology 3 (SH3) domain. Quantitative real‐time PCR analysis revealed that CD2AP shows higher expression in the gills and skin. Under experimental challenge, CD2AP gene expression was increased as relative to the control after 7 days. This result will improve our understanding of blood vessels in teleost fish, and will provide a basis for the study of CD2‐related genes. HighlightsWe identified the CD2AP from leucocytes of rock bream.CD2AP has a Src homology 3 (SH3) domain that interact with CD2.CD2AP is expressed late in during pathogen infection.