Exposure to the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella modulates juvenile oyster Crassostrea gigas hemocyte variables subjected to different biotic conditions.

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is an important commercial species cultured throughout the world. Oyster production practices often include transfers of animals into new environments that can be stressful, especially at young ages. This study was undertaken to determine if a toxic Alexandrium bloom, occurring repeatedly in French oyster beds, could modulate juvenile oyster cellular immune responses (i.e. hemocyte variables). We simulated planting on commercial beds by conducting a cohabitation exposure of juvenile, "specific pathogen-free" (SPF) oysters (naïve from the environment) with previously field-exposed oysters to induce interactions with new microorganisms. Indeed, toxic Alexandrium spp. exposures have been reported to modulate bivalve interaction with specific pathogens, as well as physiological and immunological variables in bivalves. In summary, SPF oysters were subjected to an artificial bloom of Alexandrium catenella, simultaneously with a cohabitation challenge. Exposure to A. catenella, and thus to the paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and extracellular bioactive compounds produced by this alga, induced higher concentration, size, complexity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of circulating hemocytes. Challenge by cohabitation with field-exposed oysters also activated these hemocyte responses, suggesting a defense response to new microorganism exposure. These hemocyte responses to cohabitation challenge, however, were partially inhibited by A. catenella exposure, which enhanced hemocyte mortality, suggesting either detrimental effects of the interaction of both stressors on immune capacity, or the implementation of an alternative immune strategy through apoptosis. Indeed, no infection with specific pathogens (herpesvirus OsHV-1 or Vibrio aesturianus) was detected. Additionally, lower PST accumulation in challenged oysters suggests a physiological impairment through alteration of feeding-related processes. Overall, results of this study show that a short-term exposure to A. catenella combined with an exposure to a modified microbial community inhibited some hemocyte responses, and likely compromised physiological condition of the juvenile oysters.

A single regulatory gene is sufficient to alter Vibrio aestuarianus pathogenicity in oysters.

Oyster diseases caused by pathogenic vibrios pose a major challenge to the sustainability of oyster farming. In France, since 2012 a disease affecting specifically adult oysters has been associated with the presence of Vibrio aestuarianus. Here, by combining genome comparison, phylogenetic analyses and high-throughput infections of strains isolated before or during the recent outbreaks, we show that virulent strains cluster into two V. aestuarianus lineages independently of the sampling dates. The bacterial lethal dose was not different between strains isolated before or after 2012. Hence, the emergence of a new highly virulent clonal strain is unlikely. Each lineage comprises nearly identical strains, the majority of them being virulent, suggesting that within these phylogenetically coherent virulent lineages a few strains have lost their pathogenicity. Comparative genomics allowed the identification of a single frameshift in a non-virulent strain. This mutation affects the varS gene that codes for a signal transduction histidine-protein kinase. Genetic analyses confirmed that varS is necessary for infection of oysters and for a secreted metalloprotease expression. For the first time in a Vibrio species, we show here that VarS is a key factor of pathogenicity.

Characterization of the secretomes of two vibrios pathogenic to mollusks.

Vibrio tapetis causes the brown ring disease in the Japanese clam Ruditapes philippinarum while Vibrio aestuarianus is associated with massive oyster mortalities. As extracellular proteins are often associated with the virulence of pathogenic bacteria, we undertook a proteomic approach to characterize the secretomes of both vibrios. The extracellular proteins (ECPs) of both species were fractionated by SEC-FPLC and in vitro assays were performed to measure the effects of each fraction on hemocyte cellular parameters (phagocytosis and adhesion). Fractions showing a significant effect were subjected to SDS-PAGE, and proteins were identified by nano LC-MS/MS. 45 proteins were identified for V. aestuarianus and 87 for V. tapetis. Most of them belonged to outer membrane or were periplasmic, including porins or adhesins that were already described as virulence factors in other bacterial species. Others were transporter components, flagella proteins, or proteins of unknown function (14 and 15 respectively). Interestingly, for V. aestuarianus, we noted the secretion of 3 extracellular enzymes including the Vam metalloprotease and two other enzymes (one putative lipase and one protease). For V. tapetis, we identified five extracellular enymes, i.e. two different endochitinases, one protease, one lipase and an adhesin. A comparison of both secretomes also showed that only the putative extracellular lipase was common to both secretomes, underscoring the difference in pathogenicity mechanisms between these two species. Overall, these results characterize for the first time the secretomes of these two marine pathogenic vibrios and constitute a useful working basis to further analyze the contribution of specific proteins in the virulence mechanisms of these species.

Contrasted survival under field or controlled conditions displays associations between mRNA levels of candidate genes and response to OsHV-1 infection in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.

Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas suffers from chronic or sporadic mortality outbreaks worldwide, resulting from infectious diseases and/or physiological disorders triggered by environmental factors. Since 2008, ostreid herpesvirus OsHV-1 µVar has been identified as the main agent responsible for mass mortality of juvenile oysters in Europe. Previous studies of genome-wide expression profiling have provided candidate genes that potentially contribute to genetically-based resistance to summer mortality. To assess their value in determining resistance to the juvenile mass mortality that has occurred in France since 2008, we analyzed the expression of 17 candidate genes in an experimental infection by OsHV-1 µVar, and in an in vivo field experiment. Individual quantification of mRNA levels of 10 out of the 17 targeted genes revealed significant variation, of which 7 genes were showed differences between conditions that created significant differences in mortality, and 6 depended on the number of OsHV-1 genome copies individually quantified in mantle tissue. Complex SOD metalloenzymes known to be part of the antioxidant defense strategies may at least partly determine susceptibility or resistance to OsHV-1-associated mortality. Furthermore, inhibitor 2 of NF-κB, termed CgIκB2, exhibited highly significant variation of mRNA levels depending on OsHV-1 load in both experiments, suggesting its implication in the antiviral immune response of C. gigas. Our results suggest that CgIκB2 expression would make a good starting point for further functional research and that it could be used in marker-assisted selection.

Integrative study of physiological changes associated with bacterial infection in Pacific oyster larvae.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial infections are common in bivalve larvae and can lead to significant mortality, notably in hatcheries. Numerous studies have identified the pathogenic bacteria involved in such mortalities, but physiological changes associated with pathogen exposure at larval stage are still poorly understood. In the present study, we used an integrative approach including physiological, enzymatic, biochemical, and molecular analyses to investigate changes in energy metabolism, lipid remodelling, cellular stress, and immune status of Crassostrea gigas larvae subjected to experimental infection with the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio coralliilyticus. FINDINGS: Our results showed that V. coralliilyticus exposure induced (1) limited but significant increase of larvae mortality compared with controls, (2) declined feeding activity, which resulted in energy status changes (i.e. reserve consumption, ß-oxidation, decline of metabolic rate), (3) fatty acid remodeling of polar lipids (changes in phosphatidylinositol and lysophosphatidylcholine composition`, non-methylene-interrupted fatty acids accumulation, lower content of major C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as activation of desaturases, phospholipase and lipoxygenase), (4) activation of antioxidant defenses (catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxiredoxin) and cytoprotective processes (heat shock protein 70, pernin), and (5) activation of the immune response (non-self recognition, NF-κκ signaling pathway, haematopoiesis, eiconosoids and lysophosphatidyl acid synthesis, inhibitor of metalloproteinase and antimicrobial peptides). CONCLUSION: Overall, our results allowed us to propose an integrative view of changes induced by a bacterial infection in Pacific oyster larvae, opening new perspectives on the response of marine bivalve larvae to infections.

Influence of oyster culture on biogeochemistry and bacterial community structure at the sediment-water interface.

Bacterial community structure and some biogeochemical parameters were studied in the sediment of two Pacific oyster farming sites, Aber Benoît (AB) and Rivière d'Auray (RA) in Brittany (France), to examine the ecological impact of oysters and to evaluate the emission of sulfide and ammonia from sediment. At AB, the organic matter accumulated in the sediment beneath the oyster tables was rapidly mineralized, with strong fluxes of ammonia and sulfide that reached 1014 and 215 µmol m(-2) h(-1), respectively, in June 2007. At RA, the fluxes were about half as strong on average and better distributed through the year. The ammonia and sulfide concentrations in the overlying water never reached levels that would be toxic to oysters in either site, nor did hypoxia occur. Total culturable bacteria (TCB) varied greatly according to the temperature: from 1.6 × 10(4) to 9.4 × 10(7) cell g(-1) sediment. Inversely, the bacterial community structure remained surprising stable through the seasons, marginally influenced by the presence of oysters and by temperature. Bacterial communities appeared to be characteristic of the sites, with only one common phylotype, Vibrio aestuarianus, a potential oyster pathogen. These data refine the hypothesis of seawater toxicity to oysters because of ammonia and sulfide fluxes and show that the measured environmental factors had only a weak influence on bacterial community structure.

Transcriptomic analysis of Ruditapes philippinarum hemocytes reveals cytoskeleton disruption after in vitro Vibrio tapetis challenge.

The Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, is an economically-important, commercial shellfish; harvests are diminished in some European waters by a pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio tapetis, that causes Brown Ring disease. To identify molecular characteristics associated with susceptibility or resistance to Brown Ring disease, Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) analyzes were performed to construct cDNA libraries enriched in up- or down-regulated transcripts from clam immune cells, hemocytes, after a 3-h in vitro challenge with cultured V. tapetis. Nine hundred and ninety eight sequences from the two libraries were sequenced, and an in silico analysis identified 235 unique genes. BLAST and "Gene ontology" classification analyzes revealed that 60.4% of the Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) have high similarities with genes involved in various physiological functions, such as immunity, apoptosis and cytoskeleton organization; whereas, 39.6% remain unidentified. From the 235 unique genes, we selected 22 candidates based upon physiological function and redundancy in the libraries. Then, Real-Time PCR analysis identified 3 genes related to cytoskeleton organization showing significant variation in expression attributable to V. tapetis exposure. Disruption in regulation of these genes is consistent with the etiologic agent of Brown Ring disease in Manila clams.

Occurrence and seasonality of Vibrio aestuarianus in sediment and Crassostrea gigas haemolymph at two oyster farms in France.

Vibrio aestuarianus is frequently found in coastal areas and can infect and induce mortalities in the pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. However, nothing is known about its distribution and seasonality in the estuarine environment, especially where oyster farming is practiced. Its occurrence was investigated in sediment and oyster haemolymph at 2 oyster farms in Brittany (France) over 2 yr during 2 periods, from June to September 2007 and from February to June 2008. Total heterotrophic bacteria (HB) were cultured on marine agar while total Vibrio spp. and V aestuarianus were selectively numerated using thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose agar (TCBS agar) and the species-specific hybridisation method, respectively. PCR was performed to detect V aestuarianus in sediment when it became unculturable. Both total Vibrio spp. and V aestuarianus had a seasonal trend. The highest concentrations were recovered in the warmest months. Its abundance ranged from 10(2) to 4 x 10(5) CFU ml(-1) in haemolymph and from 10(3) to 1 x 10(4) CFU g(-1) in the sediment. Temperature was the main factor influencing the concentration of Vibrio spp. and V. aestuarianus in the sediment. Thus V aestuarianus might subsist during the cold seasons in the sediment, from which it can emerge when environmental conditions became favourable.

Vibrio aestuarianus zinc metalloprotease causes lethality in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and impairs the host cellular immune defenses.

Extracellular products (ECPs) of the pathogenic Vibrio aestuarianus 01/32 were previously reported to display lethality in Crassostrea gigas oysters and to cause morphological changes and immunosuppression in oyster hemocytes. To identify the source of this toxicity, biochemical and genetic approaches were developed. ECP protease activity and lethality were shown to be significantly reduced following incubation with metal chelators, suggesting the involvement of a zinc metalloprotease. An open reading frame of 1836 bp encoding a 611-aa metalloprotease (designated Vam) was identified. The deduced protein sequence showed high homology to other Vibrio metalloproteases reported to be involved in pathogenicity. To further confirm the role of this enzyme in ECP toxicity, a plasmid carrying the vam gene under the control of an araC-P(BAD) expression cassette was transferred to a Vibrio splendidus related strain, LMG20012(T), previously characterized as non-pathogenic to oysters. Expression of Vam conferred a toxic phenotype to LMG20012(T) ECPs in vivo and cytotoxicity to oyster hemocytes in vitro. Collectively, these data suggest that the Vam metalloprotease is a major contributor to the toxicity induced by V. aestuarianus ECPs and is involved in the impairment of oyster hemocyte functions.

Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Vibrio aestuarianus subsp. francensis subsp. nov., a pathogen of the oyster Crassostrea gigas.

Eleven Vibrio isolates invading the hemolymph of live and moribund oysters (Crassostrea gigas) collected in the field and from a hatchery in France, were characterized by a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA, gyrB and toxR genes indicated high homogeneity between these strains and the Vibrio aestuarianus type strain (ATCC35048(T)), and confirmed previous 16S rRNA analysis. In contrast, DNA:DNA hybridization was from 61% to 100%, while phenotypic characters and virulence tests showed a large diversity between the strains. Nevertheless, several common characters allowed the isolates to be distinguished from the reference strain. On the basis of several distinct phenotypic characteristics, it is proposed to establish two subspecies within the V. aestuarianus spp. group, V. aestuarianus subsp. aestuarianus [D. Tison, R. Seidler, Vibrio aestuarianus: a new species from estuarine waters and shellfish, Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. (1983) 699-702] and V. aestuarianus subsp. francensis for these French isolates. The characters that differentiate the new strains from V. aestuarianus subsp. aestuarianus(T) are virulence (positive for 63% of the isolates) and 12:0 fatty acid content. The colonies were smaller and uncoloured, whereas no growth occurred at 35 degrees C or on TCBS, and the strains did not utilize several substrates, including L-serine, alpha-cyclodextrin, D-mannitol, alpha-glycyl-L-aspartic acid, L-threonine and glucose-1-phosphate.

Cellular and molecular hemocyte responses of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, following bacterial infection with Vibrio aestuarianus strain 01/32.

The strategies used by bacterial pathogens to circumvent host defense mechanisms remain largely undefined in bivalve molluscs. In this study, we investigated experimentally the interactions between the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) immune system and Vibrio aestuarianus strain 01/32, a pathogenic bacterium originally isolated from moribund oysters. First, an antibiotic-resistant V. aestuarianus strain was used to demonstrate that only a limited number of bacterial cells was detected in the host circulatory system, suggesting that the bacteria may localize in some organs. Second, we examined the host defense responses to V. aestuarianus at the cellular and molecular levels, using flow-cytometry and real-time PCR techniques. We showed that hemocyte phagocytosis and adhesive capabilities were affected during the course of infection. Our results also uncovered a previously-undescribed mechanism used by a Vibrio in the initial stages of host interaction: deregulation of the hemocyte oxidative metabolism by enhancing the production of reactive oxygen species and down-regulating superoxide dismutase (Cg-EcSOD) gene expression. This deregulation may provide an opportunity to the pathogen by impairing hemocyte functions and survival. These findings provide new insights into the cellular and molecular bases of the host-pathogen interactions in C. gigas oyster.

Effects of extracellular products from the pathogenic Vibrio aestuarianus strain 01/32 on lethality and cellular immune responses of the oyster Crassostrea gigas.

Vibrio aestuarianus strain 01/32 was previously shown to be pathogenic to Crassostrea gigas juveniles. To investigate virulence mechanisms of this pathogen, we studied the toxicity to oysters of its extracellular products (ECPs). ECPs displayed lethality to animals, with a LD(50) value of 3.3 microg/g body weight. To determine the oyster cellular immune responses induced by these ECPs, we further examined in vitro their effects on C. gigas hemocytes, using flow cytometric-based hemocyte assays. Treatment of hemolymph with ECPs caused a significant inhibition of hemocyte phagocytosis and adhesive capabilities. In contrast, the pathway of reactive oxygen species production was enhanced by higher ECP concentrations. Exposure of hemocytes to live bacteria induced no changes in hemocyte parameters. Together, these results suggest that V. aestuarianus strain 01/32 secretes one or more factors which may play an important role in the pathogenicity of this microorganism, and which display immunosuppressant activities on hemocyte functions.

Phylogenetic study and identification of Vibrio splendidus-related strains based on gyrB gene sequences.

Different strains related to Vibrio splendidus have been associated with infection of aquatic animals. An epidemiological study of V. splendidus strains associated with Crassostrea gigas mortalities demonstrated genetic diversity within this group and suggested its polyphyletic nature. Recently 4 species, V. lentus, V. chagasii, V. pomeroyi and V. kanaloae, phenotypically related to V. splendidus, have been described, although biochemical methods do not clearly discriminate species within this group. Here, we propose a polyphasic approach to investigate their taxonomic relationships. Phylogenetic analysis of V. splendidus-related strains was carried out using the nucleotide sequences of 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and gyrase B subunit (gyrB) genes. Species delineation based on 16S rDNA-sequencing is limited because of divergence between cistrons, roughly equivalent to divergence between strains. Despite a high level of sequence similarity, strains were separated into 2 clades. In the phylogenetic tree constructed on the basis of gyrB gene sequences, strains were separated into 5 independent clusters containing V. splendidus, V. lentus, V. chagasii-type strains and a putative new genomic species. This phylogenetic grouping was almost congruent with that based on DNA-DNA hybridisation analysis. V. pomeroyi, V. kanaloae and V. tasmaniensis-type strains clustered together in a fifth clade. The gyrB gene-sequencing approach is discussed as an alternative for investigating the taxonomy of Vibrio species.

Purification and partial identification of novel antimicrobial protein from marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas species strain X153.

A marine bacterium, X153, was isolated from a pebble collected at St. Anne du Portzic (France). By 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequence analysis, X153 strain was identified as a Pseudoalteromonas sp. close to P. piscicida. The crude culture of X153 was highly active against human pathogenic strains involved in dermatologic diseases, and marine bacteria including various ichthyopathogenic Vibrio strains. The active substance occurred both in bacterial cells and in culture supernatant. An antimicrobial protein was purified to homogeneity by a 4-step procedure using size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography. The highly purified P-153 protein is anionic, and sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gives an apparent molecular mass of 87 kDa. The X153 bacterium protected bivalve larvae against mortality, following experimental challenges with ichthyopathogenic Vibrio. Pseudoalteromonas sp. X153 may be useful in aquaculture as a probiotic bacterium.

Reduction of adhesion properties of Ruditapes philippinarum hemocytes exposed to Vibrio tapetis.

Vibrio tapetis is the causative agent of brown ring disease (BRD), which affects a species of clam, Ruditapes philippinarum. After incubation with V. tapetis, hemocytes lose filopods and become rounded, indicating cytotoxic activity of the bacterium. To rapidly quantify this cytotoxicity, a flow-cytometry test was developed based on the capacity of V. tapetis to inhibit adhesion of clam hemocytes to plastic. Several bacteria:hemocyte ratios, the cytotoxicity of other Vibrio spp. pathogenic to bivalves, and that of various V. tapetis isolates were tested. Inhibition of adherence is detectable with as few as 5 bacteria per hemocyte. The greater cytotoxic activity of V. tapetis compared to that of V. splendidus and V. pectenicida suggests a specific pathogenicity of V. tapetis to R. philippinarum hemocytes. Although all V. tapetis isolates inhibited adhesion, significant variations in cytotoxicity among isolates was demonstrated.

[Characterization of pathogenic bacteria of the cupped oyster Crassostrea gigas]. / Caractérisation de bactéries pathogènes de naissain d'huître creuse Crassostrea gigas.

The French mollusc production is mainly based on the Pacific cupped oyster, Crassostrea gigas. Since 1991, outbreaks of mass mortality of juveniles are reported during the summer period. These outbreaks are a major concern of oyster industry. Several studies have established given bacterial strains to be pathogenic for bivalve species, including oysters. Here we present a study of mortality outbreaks of C. gigas, as initiated in 1995. In a first step, bacterial strains were isolated during mass mortality outbreak and were biochemically characterised. Among the isolated strains, some strains of Vibrio splendidus biovar II were found to be pathogenic by means of experimental challenge of oyster juveniles. In the second step, a genotypical identification of the pathogenic strain was undertaken, based on 16S RNA sequences and phylogenetic analysis. It confirmed that the pathogenetic strain belonged to Vibrio splendidus biovar II.