白斑综合征病毒浙江分离株在动物模型克氏原螯虾组织中的分布

应用对虾白斑综合征病毒浙江分离株(WSSV-ZJ)人工口服感染实验动物模型克氏原螯虾,研究其在消化道组织和血淋巴细胞内分布及病理变化的特点。结果显示,在受感染濒死螯虾的胃、中肠和循环血淋巴中观察到大量病毒粒子,是病毒侵染的主要靶组织;此外,在肝胰腺组织的细胞中观察到少量病毒粒子。该病毒主要侵染结缔组织细胞、上皮细胞和循环血淋巴细胞等敏感细胞的细胞核。电镜和光镜观察及应用原位杂交检测表明,浙江株病毒粒子在螯虾体内的形态大小、分布特点和靶细胞组织的病理与其他地理株相似或相同。     

切除眼柄对加速克氏原螯虾卵巢发育进程的组织学研究

应用组织切片和透射电镜技术研究眼柄切除对加速克氏原螯虾(Procambarus clarkii)卵巢发育进程的影响。实验分成4组,选取眼柄切除15 d和30 d两个时间点进行。切除眼柄30 d后,雌虾体长增长显著,从(11.50±2.30)cm增长至(18.20±3.40)cm(P0.05),性腺指数(GSI)从4.56%±2.81%增长至8.05%±2.51%(P0.05),体重和螯肢长也有所增长(P0.05)。电镜观察发现卵母细胞从发育Ⅱ期迅速度过Ⅲ期进入到Ⅵ期阶段,卵母细胞体积变大,变圆;液泡压缩变小;卵黄颗粒加速积累,逐渐占满整个胞内空间;滤泡细胞胞质从黏稠变稀薄。这些结果表明,切除眼柄在短期内显著加快卵母细胞内卵黄颗粒的积累,并且加快个体生长。     

Envelope Proteins of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Interact with Litopenaeus vannamei Peritrophin-Like Protein (LvPT)

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a major pathogen in shrimp cultures. The interactions between viral proteins and their receptors on the surface of cells in a frontier target tissue are crucial for triggering an infection. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) library was constructed using cDNA obtained from the stomach and gut of Litopenaeus vannamei, to ascertain the role of envelope proteins in WSSV infection. For this purpose, VP37 was used as the bait in the Y2H library screening. Forty positive clones were detected after screening. The positive clones were analyzed and discriminated, and two clones belonging to the peritrophin family were subsequently confirmed as genuine positive clones. Sequence analysis revealed that both clones could be considered as the same gene, LV-peritrophin (LvPT). Co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the interaction between LvPT and VP37. Further studies in the Y2H system revealed that LvPT could also interact with other WSSV envelope proteins such as VP32, VP38A, VP39B, and VP41A. The distribution of LvPT in tissues revealed that LvPT was mainly expressed in the stomach than in other tissues. In addition, LvPT was found to be a secretory protein, and its chitin-binding ability was also confirmed.     

Suppression of Shrimp Melanization during White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection

The melanization cascade, activated by the prophenoloxidase (proPO) system, plays a key role in the production of cytotoxic intermediates, as well as melanin products for microbial sequestration in invertebrates. Here, we show that the proPO system is an important component of the Penaeus monodon shrimp immune defense toward a major viral pathogen, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Gene silencing of PmproPO(s) resulted in increased cumulative shrimp mortality after WSSV infection, whereas incubation of WSSV with an in vitro melanization reaction prior to injection into shrimp significantly increased the shrimp survival rate. The hemolymph phenoloxidase (PO) activity of WSSV-infected shrimp was extremely reduced at days 2 and 3 post-injection compared with uninfected shrimp but was fully restored after the addition of exogenous trypsin, suggesting that WSSV probably inhibits the activity of some proteinases in the proPO cascade. Using yeast two-hybrid screening and co-immunoprecipitation assays, the viral protein WSSV453 was found to interact with the proPO-activating enzyme 2 (PmPPAE2) of P. monodon. Gene silencing of WSSV453 showed a significant increase of PO activity in WSSV-infected shrimp, whereas co-silencing of WSSV453 and PmPPAE2 did not, suggesting that silencing of WSSV453 partially restored the PO activity via PmPPAE2 in WSSV-infected shrimp. Moreover, the activation of PO activity in shrimp plasma by PmPPAE2 was significantly decreased by preincubation with recombinant WSSV453. These results suggest that the inhibition of the shrimp proPO system by WSSV partly occurs via the PmPPAE2-inhibiting activity of WSSV453.     

Shelter availability reduces the effects of the invasive Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on eelgrass-dominated clear-water lakes: a mesocosm approach

Hydrobiologia - Shelter availability is one of the key features governing crayfish habitat quality. It can directly influence crayfish’s individual survival of by lowering the risk of...     

Ontogeny of Cardiac and Ventilatory Function in the Crayfish Procambarus clarkii

SYNOPSIS. Ontog eny of cardiac and ventilatory function wasinvestigated in the direct developing crayfish Procambarus clarkiito determine basic developmental patterns and to evaluate diffusionaland convective gas exchange. Animals were exposed to water rangingin Po₂ from 150 to less than 10 mmHg. Ontogeny of cardiac functionfollows a pattern unlike that observed in other developing organisms.Heart rate (f_H) decreases from the mid-point of embryonic developmentuntil hatching, and the decrease in f_H is accompanied by a concomitantloss in cardiac and ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia. Duringlarval development however, f_H increases until a juvenile stageis reached. Heart rate then decreases again as the animal increasesin mass. Cardiac and ventilatory responses to hypoxia are restoredby the third larval instar. Ventilatory function is initiatedwithin hours of hatching. Scaphognathite movement (f_sc), whichis initially uncoordinated, does not result in appreciable movementof water, but functional pumping is achieved within hours ofhatching. Animals do not exhibit an adult-like response to hypoxicexposure until at least the third larval instar. The ontogenyof both cardiac and ventilatory function indicates that thedirect developing crayfish is not physiologically mature untilan early juvenile stage. The drop in embryonic JFH and lossof hypoxic sensitivity late in development may indicate thatoxygen requirements of embryos exceed the capacity of egg membranescapacity (surface area) to supply oxygen by diffusion.     

Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies of Shrimp White Spot Syndrome Virus Envelope Protein VP28

BALB/c mice were immunized with purified White spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Six monoclonal antibody cell lines were selected by ELISA with VP28 protein expressed in E. coli. in vitro neutralization experiments showed that 4 of them could inhibit the virus infection in crayfish. Western-blot suggested that all these monoclonal antibodies were against the conformational structure of VP28. The monoclonal antibody 7B4 was labeled with colloidal gold particles and used to locate the VP28 on virus envelope by immunogold labeling. These monoclonal antibodies could be used to develop immun-ological diagnosis methods for WSSV infection.     

Characterization of a Matrix Protein in the Gastroliths of the Crayfish Procambarus clarkii

As a first step in understanding the calcification mechanism, a matrix protein in the gastrolith of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii was purified and sequenced. The protein was insoluble in acid, but after trypsin digestion, it dissolved in 6 m urea. The trypsin-digested protein dissolved in urea solution was purified by reversed-phase HPLC and designated gastrolith matrix protein fragment. The fragment had a molecular weight of 9658 and a blocked amino terminus. It had tandemly repeated units not reported before at the central part of the sequence, with each unit being Gly-Ser-X1-X2-Phe as the most typical sequence. This peptide was found associated with chitin, a main component of the organic matrix.     

Characterization and Diagnostic Use of a Monoclonal Antibody for VP28 Envelope Protein of White Spot Syndrome Virus

The gene encoding the VP28 envelope protein of White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was cloned into expression vector pET-30a and transformed into the Escherichia coli strain BL21.After induction,the recombinant VP28 (rVP28) protein was purified and then used to immunize Balb/c mice for monoclonal antibody (MAb) production.It was observed by immuno-electron microscopy the MAbs specific to rVP28 could recognize native VP28 target epitopes of WSSV and dot-blot analysis was used to detect natural WSSV infection.Co...     

Characterization and Diagnostic Use of a Monoclonal Antibody for VP28 Envelope Protein of White Spot Syndrome Virus

The gene encoding the VP28 envelope protein of White spot syndrome virus (WSSV)was cloned into expression vector pET-30a and transformed into the Escherichia coli strain BL21.After induction,the recombinant VP28 (rVP28) protein was purified and then used to immunize Balb/c mice for monoclonal antibody (MAb) production.It was observed by immuno-electron microscopy the MAbs specific to rVP28 could recognize native VP28 target epitopes of WSSV and dot-blot analysis was used to detect natural WSSV infection.Competitive PCR showed that the viral level was approximately 104 copies/mg tissue in the dilution of gill homogenate of WSSV-infected crayfish at the detection limit of dot-blot assay.Our results suggest that dot-blot analysis with anti-rVP28 MAb could rapidly and sensitively detect WSSV at the early stages of WSSV infection.     

鳌虾血细胞中一种新的astakine样造血因子基因的克隆及表达

甲壳动物的血细胞参与多种免疫反应,能够激活酚氧化酶原,产生抗菌肽或进行血细胞的封装、吞噬等. 本研究在克氏原螯虾血细胞中发现一种造血激素astakine,是与脊椎动物细胞因子前动力蛋白prokineticin同源的基因,命名为PcAst,该基因的开放阅读框为357 bp,编码118个氨基酸,具有保守的半胱氨酸残基. 半定量PCR结果显示,该基因只在血细胞中表达. 实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,在金黄色葡萄球菌和鳗弧菌刺激后,其mRNA表达量大幅上调. 白斑综合征病毒刺激后,该基因也呈持续上调表达趋势. 为进一步研究其功能,重组表达了PcAst蛋白,并对其蛋白水平表达模式进行了分析. 所有结果表明,该基因可能参与鳌虾血细胞的固有免疫应答反应,在抗细菌和抗病毒中起重要作用.