Genetic diversity of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida demonstrated by random amplified polymorphic DNA and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analyses

The current taxonomy of Aeromonas salmonicida includes 4 subspecies. A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is associated with salmonid furunculosis, and A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, A. salmonicida subsp. masoucida, and A. salmonicida subsp. smithia are strains that show variation in some biochemical properties. This classification does not readily encompass isolates from a wide range of fish hosts currently described as atypical A. salmonicida. This study examined 17 typical strains, 39 atypical strains and 3 type A. salmonicida subspecies strains for genetic similarity using the random amplified polymophic DNA (RAPD) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) techniques. On the basis of RAPD- and PFGE-derived profiles, similarity matrices and dendrograms were constructed. The results showed that species A. salmonicida constituted a genetically heterogeneous group of strains, encompassing within an homogeneous or clonal lineage comprised solely of typical strains and the A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida type strain.     

Atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida contain multiple copies of insertion element ISAsa4 useful as a genetic marker and a target for PCR assay

The species Aeromonas salmonicida includes a quite complex group of pathogens that cause a variety of diseases in fishes. Best studied strains of this species are those of the subspecies salmonicida also referred to as 'typical' A. salmonicida, which cause furunculosis in salmonids. Less completely understood are bacteria assigned to other subspecies, e.g. achromogenes and masoucida, or those that cannot be assigned to a recognized subspecies. These strains are referred to collectively as 'atypical' A. salmonicida and cause diseases distinct from furunculosis, primarily affecting non-salmonids. In the course of a study to investigate the suitability of the gene product of tapA as a subunit vaccine, we discovered several atypical strains of A. salmonicida in which the tapA gene was interrupted by an insertion sequence (IS). Subsequent Southern blot analyses indicated that nearly all atypical strains (27 of 29) examined carry many copies of this IS, which we named ISAsa4. Genetic characterization of this IS element revealed it to be a member of the IS5 family, subgroup IS903. Aside from the presence of ISAsa4 in several atypical strains, the nucleotide sequence of tapA was virtually identical to that found in typical strains. This finding suggests that ISAsa4 might be a major source of genetic diversity among atypical strains which, unlike typical strains, are genetically heterogeneous. The presence of ISAsa4 in atypical strains may also help explain the host tropism of atypical strains of this bacterium. Using information on the nucleotide sequences of ISAsa4 from atypical strains of A. salmonicida, primers were designed to selectively amplify genomic DNA from most atypical strains.     

Genetic diversity among A-proteins of atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida

The virulence array protein gene A (vapA) encoding the A-protein subunit of the surface layer of 23 typical and atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida from salmonids and marine fish species were sequenced, and the deduced A-protein sequences compared. The A-proteins of the typical A. salmonicida ssp. salmonicida strains were shown to be identical, while amino acid variability was revealed among A-proteins of atypical strains. The highest amino acid variability appears to be in a predicted surface exposed region and is believed to result in antigenic differences among the atypical strains of A. salmonicida.     

用聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测支气管肺泡灌洗（BAL）液中的嗜肺军团杆菌

本文研究了由嗜肺军团杆菌的巨噬细胞感染性增效子（ｍｉｐ）基因设计的一对引物,用ＰＣＲ扩增嗜肺军团杆菌３、５、７、８血清型的４个标准菌株的特异ＤＮＡ序列,研究了用该引物扩增ＢＡＬ液中嗜肺军团菌特异ＤＮＡ序列的方法、灵敏度及特异性。结果表明：用上述引物扩增嗜肺军团菌４个标准菌株的ＤＮＡ,均可得到２０７ｂｐ的特异扩增产物,ＢＡＬ液中的军团菌经离心及裂解液裂解后,可直接进行ＤＮＡ扩增,当ＢＡＬ与液中军团菌量为２×１０３ＣＦＵ／ｍｌ时,即可检测出特异扩增带（电泳法）,除军团菌外,其它受试细菌均无此特异性扩增,用本法对４２例临床非典型肺炎患者的ＢＡＬ液进行嗜肺军团菌的检测,在４２份嗜肺军团菌培养均为阴性的ＢＡＬ液中,其中一例ＰＣＲ检测军团菌为阳性。本研究提示：用ＰＣＲ检测ＢＡＬ液中的军团菌是可行的,并有快速、灵敏、特异之忧点。     

Small subunit rRNA gene sequences of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. smithia and Haemophilus piscium reveal pronounced similarities with A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida

The small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) encoding genes from reference strains of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. smithia and Haemophilus piscium were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cloned into Escherichia coli cells. Almost the entire SSU rRNA gene sequence (1505 nucleotides) from both organisms was determined. These DNA sequences were compared with those previously described from A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, subsp. achromogenes and subsp. masoucida. This genetic analysis revealed that A. salmonicida subsp. smithia and H. piscium showed 99.4 and 99.6% SSU rRNA gene sequence identity, respectively, with A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida.     

Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting analysis of Canadian isolates of Aeromonas salmonicida

Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting (REF) analysis was used to examine total cellular DNA prepared from 56 independent field isolates of the fish pathogen, Aeromonas salmonicida. DNA was digested singly with the restriction enzymes EcoRI and HindIII, and the resulting fragments separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized by silver staining. The REF patterns of typical isolates of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida were distinct from those of A. hydrophila, A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, A. salmonicida subsp. masoucida, and atypical isolates of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. Differences between strains of typical A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida could also be distinguished. Canadian isolates examined could be assigned to 1 of 12 different groups (REF groups), with the majority of the isolates belonging to REF groups 1 and 5. REF group 1 strains were isolated from British Columbia and New Brunswick while REF group 5 isolates were found in Ontario. None of the European strains examined had REF patterns identical to those of Canadian isolates. Based on REF analysis, there was little genetic heterogeneity detected among 23 isolates from two short-term studies of naturally occurring infections. Several different REF groups were seen among A. salmonicida collected over a 10-year period from coho salmon from the Credit River. Consistent with earlier biochemical and hybridization studies, the REF data suggest that A. salmonicida is a clonal pathogen. REF analysis can, however, permit the identification of subgroups, which may be useful in epidemiological studies.     

Vaccine efficacy in spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor: relationship to molecular variation in A-layer protein of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida

Atypical Aeromonas salmonicida strains comprise a heterogeneous group in terms of molecular and phenotypic characteristics. They cause various conditions of ulcer diseases or atypical furunculosis and are being isolated in increasing number from various fish species and geographical areas. Several marine fish species susceptible to atypical A. salmonicida, including spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor O., are now being farmed and new vaccines may be needed. A commercial furunculosis vaccine for salmon is reported to protect wolffish poorly against experimental challenge with atypical A. salmonicida. The protective antigen(s) in furunculosis vaccines is still unclear, but in oil-adjuvanted vaccine for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., the surface A-layer was shown to be important for protection. In spotted wolffish, the efficacy of atypical furunculosis vaccines seems to vary with the atypical A. salmonicida strains used as bacterin in the vaccine. In the present study we investigated whether differences in the A-layer protein among atypical strains might be responsible for the observed variation in vaccine efficacy. Atypical A. salmonicida strains from 16 fish species in 11 countries were compared by genome polymorphism analysis using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting and by comparative sequencing of the vapA genes encoding the A-protein. The A-protein sequences appeared to be highly conserved except for a variable region between Residues 90 to 170. Surprisingly, the grouping of strains based on AFLP- or A-protein sequence similarities was consistent. In addition, serological differences in the A-protein among the strains were demonstrated by an A-protein-specific monoclonal antibody. Vaccines based on atypical A. salmonicida strains possessing genetically and serologically different A-layer proteins were shown to result in significantly different protection in spotted wolffish.     

Identification of differentially expressed genes in parasitic phase Miamiensis avidus (Ciliophora: Scuticociliatia) using suppression subtractive hybridization

A multiplex (m-)PCR-based protocol was designed for the simultaneous detection of the main marine bacterial pathogens in Chilean salmon farms: Streptococcus phocae, Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio anguillarum and Piscirickettsia salmonis. Each of the 4 oligonucleotide primer pairs exclusively amplified the target gene of the specific bacterial pathogen. The detection limit of the m-PCR using purified total bacterial DNA was 50 pg microl(-1) for V anguillarum, 500 fg microl(-1) for P. salmonis, and 5 pg microl(-1) for S. phocae and A. salmonicida. This corresponded to average limits in the m-PCR sensitivity of 3.69 x 10(5) CFU ml(-1) of V anguillarum, 1.26 x 10(4) CFU m(-1) of S. phocae, and 5.33 x 10(4) CFU ml(-1) of A. salmonicida, while the detection limits for the spiked fish tissues, regardless of the sample (spleen, kidney, liver or muscle) were 2.64 +/- 0.54 x 10(7) CFU g(-1) for V. anguillarum, 9.03 +/- 1.84 x 10(5) CFU g(-1) for S. phocae, 3.8 +/- 0.78 x 10(3) CFU mg(-1) for A. salmonicida and 100 P. salmonis cells. However, high amounts of DNA from 3 bacterial species had a reduction of -1 log-unit on the amplification sensitivity of S. phocae or A. salmonicida when these were present in lower concentration in the multiplex reaction. The assay described in this study is a rapid, sensitive and efficient tool to detect the presence of S. phocae, A. salmonicida, V. anguillarum and P. salmonis simultaneously from pure cultures and tissues from clinically diseased fish. Therefore, it may be a useful alternative to culture-based methods for the diagnosis of infections in fish obtained from Chilean salmon farms.     

复合PCR鉴定胸膜肺炎放线杆菌方法的建立及初步应用

根据胸膜肺炎放线杆菌(Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae,App)apxIVA毒素基因序列和16SrRNA序列分别设计了一对特异性引物P1P4和一对通用引物S7S10,建立了检测App全部15个血清型的复合PCR方法。对App的15个血清型国际参考株和国内的11个App菌株进行检测,都能得到363bp和692bp的两个扩增片段。而放线杆菌等13株参考菌株只能得到692bp的扩增片段。该方法能将15个血清型的App菌株鉴定到种。检测的灵敏度达9pgDNA1300CFU。用建立的方法检测临床分离的302株可疑菌株,阳性4株,与其它鉴定方法相符。结果表明复合PCR可用于App菌株的鉴定。     

Characterization of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida isolates by ribotyping and plasmid profiling

A total of 38 strains of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida , three oxidase-negative but otherwise typical Aer. salmonicida , three typical Aer. salmonicida , and two reference strains, isolated from several countries and fish species were examined with respect to rRNA gene restriction patterns (ribotypes) and plasmid profiles. Most epidemiologically unrelated strains had different ribotypes, whereas isolates from the same outbreak were identical. All strains, except one, carried one or more large plasmids (> 55 kbp) and all strains, except two, additionally carried one or more smaller plasmids. Many strains isolated from the same outbreak showed different plasmid profiles although some plasmids were identical. The results suggest the existence of several atypical Aer. salmonicida. It also seems that ribotypes are stable properties for these bacteria while the plasmids are more labile.     

Comparison of extracellular proteases produced by Aeromonas salmonicida strains, isolated from various fish species

Extracellular products (ECPs) of five typical and 25 atypical Aeromonas salmonicida isolates from various fish species and geographical locations were analysed by substrate specificity, inhibition of proteolytic activity and substrate SDS-PAGE. The type strains of Aer. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida and Aer. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes were included for comparison. The results indicated that the strains formed six protease groups. The proteases produced by the two type strains were of a different nature. All the typical strains belonged to one group and showed proteolytic activities comparable to P1 and P2 proteases. Three atypical (oxidase-negative) strains secreted a protease comparable to P1. With the exception of these three, all strains produced metallo-gelatinases. A metallo-caseinase (AsaP1) was detected in the ECP of subsp. achromogenes type strain and 10 of the atypical strains. A number of proteolytic components with different apparent molecular weights (AMWs) were identified. These include caseinases with AMWs of > 100, 80, 60 and 30 kDa and gelatinolytic components with different AMWs, including some with AMW higher than P1 and lower than P2. The protease production of the isolates was not found to be host specific.     

Siderophore production by Aeromonas salmonicida.

Growth under conditions of iron-restriction and the production of siderophores was examined in 21 typical and 14 atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida. With the exception of one atypical strain, all strains grew and multiplied in the presence of the high-affinity iron chelators ethylenediamine di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid), alpha, alpha'-dipyridyl or transferrin. Chrome azurol S agar was used to screen bacterial strains growing under these conditions for the production of siderophores. Siderophore production was detected only in the typical strains. Siderophores were also detected in the iron-restricted culture supernatants of typical strains. Siderophores were also detected in the iron-restricted culture supernatants of typical strains, where they were associated with an iron-binding activity. The siderophore was extracted from iron-restricted culture supernatant of one strain by adsorption onto an XAD-7 resin; it behaved as a 2,3-diphenol-catechol in several colorimetric assays. The results indicate that although both typical and atypical strains of A. salmonicida grow and multiply under conditions of iron-restriction, they use different iron-uptake mechanisms, siderophore-mediated and siderophore-independent, respectively. In cross-feeding assays, growth of typical strains was stimulated only by homologous iron-restricted supernatant, suggesting strain differences in the siderophore produced. However, one strain produced a culture supernatant with growth-stimulating activity for other typical and also atypical strains.     

Assessment of genetic variability and relatedness among atypical Aeromonas salmonicida from marine fishes,using AFLP-fingerprinting

Atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida are the causal agent of atypical furunculosis or ulcer disease in various fish species, including spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor, which is a promising species in the Norwegian fish-farming industry. Isolates of atypical A. salmonicida comprise a very heterogenous group showing large variety in biochemical, molecular and virulence characteristics. The genetic variability among atypical isolates from wolffish was characterised using amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis: AFLP-fingerprinting. Additional isolates from halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus, turbot Scophthalmus maximus, cod Gadus morhua and several salmonid fishes were included for assessment of variability and relatedness among a total of 56 atypical isolates of A. salmonicida. They were compared to reference strains of A. salmonicida subspecies and to other Aeromonas species pathogenic in fishes. AFLP-fingerprints subjected to similarity analysis yielded a grouping of the isolates into several clusters, revealing genetic heterogeneity among the isolates. There seems to be a correlation between genetic similarity among isolates and the fish host. The Icelandic isolates, mainly from cod, formed a very homogeneous subcluster, which was closely related to the wolffish isolates. All atypical isolates from spotted and common wolffish grouped together in a large cluster and appear to be very homogeneous, even though they had been isolated over a period of 8 yr at different locations in Norway. On the other hand, most of the isolates from turbot and halibut grouped together into 2 different clusters, while the 9 atypical isolates from salmonids appeared in 4 different clusters. Thus, the atypical isolates of A. salmonicida from halibut, turbot and salmonid fishes seem to be more genetically diverse than those from wolffish and cod.     

Heme requirement for growth of fastidious atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida.

The growth of fastidious atypical strains of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida on both solid and liquid media was dependent specifically on a source of heme which was apparently required for initiation of growth at low inoculum densities. Thus, hemin enhanced the plating efficiencies of such strains on solid medium and significantly reduced their inoculum-size-dependent lag times in broth. The heme requirement could also be satisfied by hematoporphyrin and, less effectively, by hemoglobin. Since the requirement was a stable property of all 17 strains tested, it may prove to be another taxonomic criterion by which the atypical strains can be differentiated from the typical strains of A. salmonicida.     

Heme requirement for growth of fastidious atypical strains of Aeromonas salmonicida

The growth of fastidious atypical strains of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida on both solid and liquid media was dependent specifically on a source of heme which was apparently required for initiation of growth at low inoculum densities. Thus, hemin enhanced the plating efficiencies of such strains on solid medium and significantly reduced their inoculum-size-dependent lag times in broth. The heme requirement could also be satisfied by hematoporphyrin and, less effectively, by hemoglobin. Since the requirement was a stable property of all 17 strains tested, it may prove to be another taxonomic criterion by which the atypical strains can be differentiated from the typical strains of A. salmonicida.     

Grouping by plasmid profiles of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida isolated from fish, with special reference to salmonid fish

Plasmid profile analyses were performed for 113 strains of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida and the reference strain A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida ATCC 14174. The atypical A. salmonicida strains comprised 98 strains obtained from fish originating from 54 farms and 2 lakes in Norway, 10 strains from Canada (2), Denmark (2), Finland (1), Iceland (1) and Sweden (4), the reference strains NCMB 1109 and ATCC 15711 (Haemophilus piscium) of A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, and the type cultures A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes NCMB 1110, A. salmonicida subsp. masoucida ATCC 27013 and A. salmonicida subsp. smithia CCM 4103. A total of 95 strains of atypical A. salmonicida were separated into 7 groups (I to VII) based on the plasmid profiles. Eighteen strains of atypical A. salmonicida had no common plasmid profile. The type strain NCMB 1110 and the reference strain NCMB 1109 were included in group IV, and the type strain ATCC 27013 in group V, but the other reference and type strains had plasmid profiles different from all the other strains. An epidemiological link was documented between strains collected from different farms/localities in each of groups I, III, V and VII. Physiological and biochemical characterizations were performed for 93 of the strains to investigate phenotypic differences between the plasmid groups. Group VII strains and 3 strains with no common plasmid profile differed from the other groups in being catalase-negative. Differences in phenotypic characteristics were shown between the plasmid groups. However, significant variations in reactions for several phenotypic characteristics also occurred within each of the groups I to VII. The present study indicates that plasmid profiling may give useful epidemiological information during outbreaks of atypical A. salmonicida infections in fish. Additional comprehensive phenotypic characterisation is of limited value since the phenotypic characteristics in each plasmid group are not uniform.     

Structural and immunochemical homogeneity of Aeromonas salmonicida lipopolysaccharide.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the lipopolysaccharides of typical and atypical strains of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida. 32P intrinsically radiolabeled lipopolysaccharide in sarcosinate-extracted outer membrane preparations, lipopolysaccharide stained by silver in proteinase K-digested outer membrane preparations and whole cell lysates, as well as purified lipopolysaccharide, displayed O-polysaccharide chains which were unusually homogeneous with respect to chain length. Chemical analysis further revealed that the sugar composition of the smooth lipopolysaccharide purified from three typical strains was very similar. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescent staining with both polyclonal and monoclonal antibody showed that the O-polysaccharide chains were strongly immunogenic and were antigenically cross-reactive on typical and atypical strains from diverse origins. Immunofluorescence analysis and phage binding studies demonstrated that a number of these O-polysaccharide chains traversed the surface protein array of virulent strains of A. salmonicida and were exposed on the cell surface.     

小麦矮腥黑穗菌差异片段筛选与分子检测体系的建立

采取随机扩增DNA多态性(Random amplified polymorphic DNA,RAPD)引物介导的半特异PCR技术(RAPD primer mediated hemi-specific PCR,RM-PCR),在从不同地域征集的18个小麦矮腥黑穗菌(Tilletia controversa Kühn,TCK)菌株和29个小麦网腥黑穗病菌(Tilletia caries(DC)Tul,TCT)菌株的总基因组DNA中筛选鉴定出TCK独有的大小为1322bp差异基因组片段。根据该片段序列设计筛选出2对特异性引物CQUTCK2/CQUTCK3和CQUTCK4/CQUTCK5,均可以从18个TCK菌株的菌丝体和冬孢子DNA中稳定地扩增出747bp和200bp的单一靶带DNA,而在29个TCT菌株的菌丝体或冬孢子DNA均无任何扩增产物。以腥黑穗菌属通用引物对CQUK6/CQUK7为内置对照,可以确定被检样品是否含PCR抑制物质进而判断检测体系是否正确,同时有效地排除样品检测结果的假阳性和假阴性。采用建立的TCK特异PCR检测技术体系,实现简单而快速地鉴定小麦矮腥黑穗菌冬孢子或罹病小麦组织中侵染菌丝体的目的。