Julia W. Pridgeon

Susceptibility of Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say to 19 pesticides with different modes of action.

Abstract To access the relative potency of pesticides to control adult mosquitoes, 19 pesticides with various modes of action were evaluated against Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say. On the basis of 24-h LD50 values after topical application, the only pesticide that had higher activity than permethrin was fipronil, with LD50 values lower than permethrin for 107-, 4,849-, and 2-fold against Ae. aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus Say, and An. quadrimaculatus Say, respectively. Abamectin, imidacloprid, spinosad, diazinon, and carbaryl showed slightly lower activity than permethrin (<20-fold). However, bifenazate showed very low activity against the three mosquito species tested, with LD50 values higher than permethrin for >1000-fold. On the basis of 24-h LD50 values, Cx. quinquefasciatus was the least susceptible species to nine pesticides tested (DNOC, azocyclotin, chlorfenapyr, carbaryl, spinosad, imidacloprid, diazinon, abamectin, and permethrin), whereas Ae. aegypti was the least susceptible species to six pesticides tested (dicofol, amitraz, propargite, hydramethylnon, cyhexatin, and diafenthiuron), and An. quadrimaculatus was the least susceptible species to four pesticides tested (bifenazate, pyridaben, indoxacarb, and fipronil). Our results revealed that different species of mosquitoes had different susceptibility to pesticides, showing the need to select the most efficacious compounds for the least susceptible mosquito species to achieve successful mosquito control.

Topically Applied AaeIAP1 Double-Stranded RNA Kills Female Adults of Aedes aegypti

Abstract Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is the primary vector of both dengue and yellow fever. Use of insecticides is one of the primary ways to control this medically important insect pest. However, few new insecticides have been developed for mosquito control in recent years. As a part of our effort to develop new insecticides to control mosquitoes, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 gene in Aedes aegypti (AaeIAP1) was targeted for the development of molecular pesticides. Herein, for the first time, we report that topically applied AaeIAP1 double-stranded RNA products are able to kill female adults of Ae. aegypti. Our results indicate that critical pathways or genes could be targeted to develop molecular pesticides for the control of medically important diseases vectors.

Molecular identification and virulence of three Aeromonas hydrophila isolates cultured from infected channel catfish during a disease outbreak in west Alabama (USA) in 2009

Three isolates (AL09-71, AL09-72, and AL09-73) of Aeromonas hydrophila were cultured from infected channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus during a disease outbreak in west Alabama, USA, in August 2009. Sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region (ISR), cpn60, gyrB, and rpoD genes of the 3 strains revealed that the 3 strains were closely related to each other, sharing 97 to 99% nucleotide sequence similarities. However, ISR sequences of the 3 isolates from 2009 shared only 64% nucleotide sequences with AL98-C1B, a 1998 isolate of A. hydrophila cultured from diseased fish in Alabama. Sequences of cpn60, gyrB, and rpoD from the 3 isolates from 2009 shared 91 to 95% homologies with AL98-C1B. Based on both LD50 and LD95 values of intraperitoneal injection assays, the virulences of the 3 isolates from 2009 were not significantly different from each other, but were at least 200-fold more virulent than AL98-C1B, indicating that the 3 west Alabama isolates of A. hydrophila from 2009 were highly virulent to channel catfish.

Structure-Activity Relationships of 33 Piperidines as Toxicants Against Female Adults of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is the primary vector of both dengue and yellow fever. Use of insecticides is one of the primary ways to control this medically important insect pest. However, few new insecticides have been developed for mosquito control in recent years. As a part of our collaborative effort to search for new insecticides to control mosquitoes, piperidine was used as base compound for further optimization. Herein, we report the structure–activity relationships of 33 piperidines against adult female Ae. aegypti. On the basis of 24-h LD50 values after topical application, the most toxic compound was 2-ethyl-piperidine, with an LD50 as low as 0.8 &mgr;g per mosquito. The toxicities of piperidine derivatives were significantly decreased when a benzyl moiety was attached to the carbon of the piperidine ring, with an LD50 value as high as 29.2 &mgr;g per mosquito. The toxicity order of three moieties attached to the carbon of the piperidine ring was ethyl- > methyl- > benzyl-derivatives. When the same moiety was attached to the piperidine ring, the carbon position to which the moiety was attached conferred different toxicity and the toxicity order was second carbon > third carbon > fourth carbon. Together, these preliminary results may be useful in guiding further piperidine ring modifications in the development of potential new insecticides.

Major bacterial diseases in aquaculture and their vaccine development

Aquaculture is emerging as the fastest growing food-producing industry in the world because of the increasing demand for food fish consumption. However, the intensive culture of food fish has led to outbreaks of various bacterial diseases, resulting in annual economic losses to the aquaculture industry estimated at billions of dollars worldwide. Feeding infected fish with antibiotic-medicated food is a general practice but has led to antibiotic resistance development in bacterial pathogen, resulting in a higher dose requirement for effective control, a matter of increasing public concern. Therefore, alternatives to antibiotics that give similar or enhanced protection to aquatic animals are urgently needed. Various vaccines have been developed recently to combat bacterial diseases in aquaculture. The purpose of this review is to summarize the major bacterial pathogens in aquaculture and the development of vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics to protect aquatic animals from these bacterial diseases.

Development and efficacy of a novobiocin-resistant Streptococcus iniae as a novel vaccine in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

A novel attenuated Streptococcus iniae vaccine was developed from a virulent strain of Streptococcus iniae (ISET0901) through selection for novobiocin resistance (named ISNO). The safety of ISNO was then evaluated in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) through intraperitoneal (IP) injection. When male tilapia (average weight 10 g) were IP injected with 2×10(7) colony-forming units (CFU) of the attenuated S. iniae vaccine strain, no fish died. However, when the same age and size matched tilapia were IP injected with 2×10(7) and 1×10(5)CFU of the virulent parent strain of S. iniae, 100 and 90% fish died, respectively. Backpassage safety studies revealed that ISNO was unable to revert back to a virulent state. When IP vaccinated fish were challenged by the virulent ISET0901 strain of S. iniae, relative percent survival (RPS) values of vaccinated fish at 14, 28, 60, 90, and 180 days post ISNO vaccination (dpv) were 100, 100, 100, 89, and 75%, respectively, The RPS values of ISNO vaccinated fish (IP vaccination) against infections by five heterologous virulent strains of S. iniae (F3CB, 102 F1K, 405 F1K, IF6, and ARS60) at 60 dpv were 78, 90, 100, 100, and 100%, respectively. When tilapia were IP vaccinated by ISNO at dose of 1×10(2), 1×10(3), 1×10(4), 1×10(5), 1×10(6), and 1×10(7)CFU/fish, RPS values at 28 dpv were 81, 94, 100, 100, 100, and 100%, respectively. At 28 dpv, RPS of vaccinated fish by ISNO through bath immersion (1×10(7)CFU/ml) was 88%. ELISA results revealed that protection elicited by ISNO was due to antibody- as well as cell- mediated immunity. Our results suggest that ISNO could be used as a novel safe and efficacious vaccine to protect Nile tilapia from S. iniae infections.

Parasitism by protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis enhanced invasion of Aeromonas hydrophila in tissues of channel catfish.

Protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet (Ich) and bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila are two common pathogens of cultured fish, which cause high fish mortality. Currently there is no information available for the effect of parasitism by Ich on survival of channel catfish and invasion of A. hydrophila in fish tissues following exposure to A. hydrophila. A trial was conducted in this study to: (1) determine whether A. hydrophila increased fish mortality in Ich-parasitized channel catfish; and (2) compare the bacterial quantity in different tissues between non-parasitized and Ich-parasitized catfish by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results demonstrated that the Ich-parasitized catfish showed significantly (P<0.05) higher mortality (80%) when exposed to A. hydrophila by immersion than non-parasitized fish (22%). Low mortality was observed in catfish exposed to Ich alone (35%) or A. hydrophila alone (22%). A. hydrophila in fish tissues were quantified by qPCR using a pair of gene-specific primers and reported as genome equivalents per mg of tissue (GEs/mg). Skin, gill, kidney, liver and spleen in Ich-parasitized fish showed significantly higher load of A. hydrophila (9400-188,300 GEs/mg) than non-parasitized fish (4700-42,100 GEs/mg) after exposure to A. hydrophila. This study provides evidence that parasite infections enhance bacterial invasion and cause high fish mortality.

Structure - Activity Relationship Studies on Derivatives of Eudesmanolides from Inula helenium as Toxicants against Aedes aegypti Larvae and Adults

An Aedes aegypti larval toxicity bioassay was performed on compounds representing many classes of natural compounds including polyacetylenes, phytosterols, flavonoids, sesquiterpenoids, and triterpenoids. Among these compounds, two eudesmanolides, alantolactone, and isoalantolactone showed larvicidal activities against Ae. aegypti and, therefore, were chosen for further structure–activity relationship study. In this study, structural modifications were performed on both alantolactone and isoalantolactone in an effort to understand the functional groups necessary for maintaining and/or increasing its activity, and to possibly lead to more effective insect‐control agents. All parent compounds and synthetic modification reaction products were evaluated for their toxic activities against Ae. aegypti larvae and adults. Structure modifications included epoxidations, reductions, catalytic hydrogenations, and Michael additions to the α,β‐unsaturated lactones. None of the synthetic isomers synthesized and screened against Ae. aegypti larvae were more active than isoalantolactone itself which had an LC50 value of 10.0 μg/ml. This was not the case for analogs of alantolactone for which many of the analogs had larvicidal activities ranging from 12.4 to 69.9 μg/ml. In general, activity trends observed from Ae. aegypti larval screening were not consistent with observations from adulticidal screening. The propylamine Michael addition analog of alantolactone was the most active adulticide synthesized with an LC50 value of 1.07 μg/mosquito. In addition, the crystal structures of both alantolactone and isoalantolactone were determined using CuKα radiation, which allowed their absolute configurations to be determined based on resonant scattering of the light atoms.

Enhanced susceptibility of channel catfish to the bacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri after parasitism by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.

Bacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri and parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) are two common pathogens of cultured fish. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus to E. ictaluri and determine bacterial loads in different fish organs after parasitism by Ich. Fish received the following treatments: (1) infected by I. multifiliis at 5000 theronts/fish and exposed to E. ictaluri; (2) infected by I. multifiliis alone; (3) exposed to E. ictaluri alone; and (4) non-infected control. E. ictaluri in fish organs were quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and reported as genome equivalents per mg of tissue (GEs/mg). The results demonstrated that the Ich-parasitized catfish showed significantly (P<0.05) higher mortality (91.7%) when exposed to E. ictaluri than non-parasitized fish (10%). The bacterial loads in fish infected by 5000 theronts/fish ranged from 6497 to 163,898 GEs/mg which was between 40 and 2000 fold higher than non-parasitized fish (49-141 GEs/mg). Ich infection enhanced the susceptibility of channel catfish to bacterial invasion and increased fish mortality.

The Biological Activity of α-Mangostin, a Larvicidal Botanic Mosquito Sterol Carrier Protein-2 Inhibitor

ABSTRACT &agr;-Mangostin derived from mangosteen was identified as a mosquito sterol carrier protein-2 inhibitor via high throughput insecticide screening. &agr;-Mangostin was tested for its larvicidal activity against third instar larvae of six mosquito species, and the median lethal concentration values range from 0.84 to 2.90 ppm. The residual larvicidal activity of &agr;-mangostin was examined under semifield conditions. The results indicated that &agr;-mangostin was photolytic with a half-life of 53 min in water under full sunlight exposure. The effect of &agr;-mangostin on activities of major detoxification enzymes such as P450, glutathione S-transferase, and esterase was investigated. The results showed that &agr;-mangostin significantly elevated activities of P450 and glutathione S-transferase in larvae, whereas it suppressed esterase activity. Toxicity of &agr;-mangostin against young rats was studied, and there was no detectable adverse effect at dosages as high as 80 mg/kg. This is the first multifaceted study of the biological activity of &agr;-mangostin in mosquitoes. The results suggest that &agr;-mangostin may be a lead compound for the development of a new organically based mosquito larvicide.