Comparative Phenotypic and Genotypic Analysis of Edwardsiella Isolates from Different Hosts and Geographic Origins, with Emphasis on Isolates Formerly Classified as E. tarda, and Evaluation of Diagnostic Methods.

Edwardsiella spp. are responsible for significant losses in important wild and cultured fish species worldwide. Recent phylogenomic investigations have determined that bacteria historically classified as Edwardsiella tarda actually represent three genetically distinct yet phenotypically ambiguous taxa with various degrees of pathogenicity in different hosts. Previous recognition of these taxa was hampered by the lack of a distinguishing phenotypic character. Commercial test panel configurations are relatively constant over time, and as new species are defined, appropriate discriminatory tests may not be present in current test panel arrangements. While phenobiochemical tests fail to discriminate between these taxa, data presented here revealed discriminatory peaks for each Edwardsiella species using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) methodology, suggesting that MALDI-TOF can offer rapid, reliable identification in line with current systematic classifications. Furthermore, a multiplex PCR assay was validated for rapid molecular differentiation of the Edwardsiella spp. affecting fish. Moreover, the limitations of relying on partial 16S rRNA for discrimination of Edwardsiella spp. and advantages of employing alternative single-copy genes gyrB and sodB for molecular identification and classification of Edwardsiella were demonstrated. Last, sodB sequencing confirmed that isolates previously defined as typical motile fish-pathogenic E. tarda are synonymous with Edwardsiella piscicida, while atypical nonmotile fish-pathogenic E. tarda isolates are equivalent to Edwardsiella anguillarum Fish-nonpathogenic E. tarda isolates are consistent with E. tarda as it is currently defined. These analyses help deconvolute the scientific literature regarding these organisms and provide baseline information to better facilitate proper taxonomic assignment and minimize erroneous identifications of Edwardsiella isolates in clinical and research settings.

Bacterial Analysis of Fertilized Eggs of Atlantic Salmon from the Penobscot, Naraguagus, and Machias Rivers, Maine.

Serious losses have occurred at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, East Orland, Maine, among eggs that were taken from Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar, which were held as captive broodfish during their returns to the Penobscot River, Naraguagus River, and Machias River to spawn. Bacterial isolations were attempted from external surfaces and the internal contents of individual eggs. Externally and in all cases, Pseudomonas fluorescens was the predominant bacterium associated with the surface of all eggs. These bacteria were resistant to a surface treatment of 1,667 ppm formalin for 15 min and, therefore, the monoclonal nature of P. fluorescens on egg surfaces was considered to result from its ability to resist the germicidal activity of formalin administered for antifungal treatments. Flavobacterium psychrophilum, the cause of bacterial coldwater disease, was isolated from the interior of 23.6, 18.1, and 29.2% of the dead Atlantic Salmon eggs from Penobscot River egg lots A-98, A-100, and A-101, respectively, and concentrations of this pathogen ranged from 1.0 × 10(3) to >5 × 10(8) CFU per gram of dead egg. Flavobacterium psychrophilum was also isolated from 8.3, 26.7, and 10.0% of the dead eggs from Naraguagus River egg lots N-158, N-161, and N-163, respectively, in which concentrations of this organism ranged from 1.0 × 10(3) to 7.5 × 10(8) CFU per gram of egg. This bacterium was also isolated from within 18.3% and 3.3% of the dead eggs from Machias River egg lots M-128 and M-142, respectively, and its concentrations ranged from 1.0 × 10(3) to 1.5 × 10(8) CFU per gram of egg. The finding of F. psychrophilum from within these eggs is indicative of this pathogen's widespread and persistent prevalence in Atlantic Salmon in New England.

Differential metabolite levels in response to spawning-induced inappetence in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

Atlantic salmon Salmo salar undergo months-long inappetence during spawning, but it is not known whether this inappetence is a pathological state or one for which the fish are adapted. Recent work has shown that inappetent whale sharks can exhibit circulating metabolite profiles similar to ketosis known to occur in humans during starvation. In this work, metabolite profiling was used to explore differences in analyte profiles between a cohort of inappetent spawning run Atlantic salmon and captively reared animals that were fed up to and through the time of sampling. The two classes of animals were easily distinguished by their metabolite profiles. The sea-run fish had elevated É·-9 fatty acids relative to the domestic feeding animals, while other fatty acid concentrations were reduced. Sugar alcohols were generally elevated in inappetent animals, suggesting potentially novel metabolic responses or pathways in fish that feature these compounds. Compounds expected to indicate a pathological catabolic state were not more abundant in the sea-run fish, suggesting that the animals, while inappetent, were not stressed in an unnatural way. These findings demonstrate the power of discovery-based metabolomics for exploring biochemistry in poorly understood animal models.

Infection of sea lamprey with an unusual strain of Aeromonas salmonicida.

The invasion of the Laurentian Great Lakes by the fish-parasitic sea lamprey has led to catastrophic consequences, including the potential introduction of fish pathogens. Aeromonas salmonicida is a bacterial fish pathogen that causes devastating losses worldwide. Currently, there are five accepted subspecies of Aeromonas salmonicida: A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, masoucida, smithia, achromogenes, and pectinolytica. We discuss the discovery of an isolate of A. salmonicida that is pathogenic to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and exhibits unique phenotypic and molecular characteristics. We examined 181 adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) from the Humber River (Lake Ontario watershed) and 162 adult sea lamprey from Duffins Creek (Lake Ontario watershed) during the spring seasons of 2005-11. Among those, 4/343 (1.2%) sea lamprey were culture positive for A. salmonicida, whereby biochemical and molecular studies identified three of the isolates as A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. The remaining isolate (As-SL1) recovered from Humber River sea lamprey was phenotypically more similar to A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida than to the four other A. salmonicida subspecies. However, unlike A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, As-SL1 was sucrose positive, produced an acid-over-acid reaction on triple-sugar iron medium and did not amplify with A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida specific primers. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial stretches of the 16S rRNA and DNA gyrase subunit B genes further confirmed that the As-SL1 isolate was not A. salmonicida subsp. masoucida, smithia, achromogenes, or pectinolytica. Based on our analyses, the As-SL1 isolate is either an unusual strain of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida or a novel A. salmonicida subspecies. The four A. salmonicida isolates that were recovered from sea lamprey were pathogenic to rainbow trout in experimental challenge studies. Our study also underscores the potential role of sea lamprey in the ecology of infectious fish diseases.

Comparative analysis of Edwardsiella isolates from fish in the eastern United States identifies two distinct genetic taxa amongst organisms phenotypically classified as E. tarda.

Edwardsiella tarda, a Gram-negative member of the family Enterobacteriaceae, has been implicated in significant losses in aquaculture facilities worldwide. Here, we assessed the intra-specific variability of E. tarda isolates from 4 different fish species in the eastern United States. Repetitive sequence mediated PCR (rep-PCR) using 4 different primer sets (ERIC I & II, ERIC II, BOX, and GTG5) and multi-locus sequence analysis of 16S SSU rDNA, groEl, gyrA, gyrB, pho, pgi, pgm, and rpoA gene fragments identified two distinct genotypes of E. tarda (DNA group I; DNA group II). Isolates that fell into DNA group II demonstrated more similarity to E. ictaluri than DNA group I, which contained the reference E. tarda strain (ATCC #15947). Conventional PCR analysis using published E. tarda-specific primer sets yielded variable results, with several primer sets producing no observable amplification of target DNA from some isolates. Fluorometric determination of G+C content demonstrated 56.4% G+C content for DNA group I, 60.2% for DNA group II, and 58.4% for E. ictaluri. Surprisingly, these isolates were indistinguishable using conventional biochemical techniques, with all isolates demonstrating phenotypic characteristics consistent with E. tarda. Analysis using two commercial test kits identified multiple phenotypes, although no single metabolic characteristic could reliably discriminate between genetic groups. Additionally, anti-microbial susceptibility and fatty acid profiles did not demonstrate remarkable differences between groups. The significant genetic variation (<90% similarity at gyrA, gyrB, pho, phi and pgm; <40% similarity by rep-PCR) between these groups suggests organisms from DNA group II may represent an unrecognized, genetically distinct taxa of Edwardsiella that is phenotypically indistinguishable from E. tarda.

Swimbladder Leiomyosarcoma in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in North America.

Leiomyosarcoma with associated retrovirus were found in North America for the first time in adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) held in a quarantine facility at the North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery (NANFH), Massachusetts, USA. The fish had been collected as age 1-2 yr animals from the Pleasant River, Maine, and were to be used as brood stock in a population augmentation program for that river. Neoplastic disease was observed at NANFH initially in older (age 4 yr) fish, followed by age 3 yr fish. Disease was not observed in age 2 yr fish. The mortality pattern was chronic.

PCR-based assays for the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida. II. Further evaluation and validation of three PCR primer sets with infected fish.

Two Aeromonas salmonicida-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and 1 A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida-specific PCR test were used to screen salmonid populations that were either overtly or covertly infected with A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. It was demonstrated that these PCR assays could be used to replace the biochemical testing currently employed to confirm the identity of A. salmonicida isolates cultured from infected fish. The AP and PAAS PCR assays were also capable of direct detection of A. salmonicida in overtly infected fish, with mucus, gill and kidney samples most likely to yield a positive result. Culture was a more reliable method for the direct detection of A. salmonicida in covertly infected salmonids than was the direct PCR testing of tissue samples, with the AP and PAAS PCRs having a lower detection limit (LDL) of approximately 4 x 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU) g(-1) sample.