Influence of Salmonid Gill Bacteria on Development and Severity of Amoebic Gill Disease
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DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS Vol. 67: 55–60, 2005 Published November 9 Dis Aquat Org Influence of salmonid gill bacteria on development and severity of amoebic gill disease Sridevi Embar-Gopinath1, 2,*, Rick Butler1, 3, Barbara Nowak1, 2 1School of Aquaculture, University of Tasmania and 2Aquafin CRC Locked Bag 1370, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia 3RSPCA Tasmania, Northern Branch, PO Box 66, Mowbray 7248, Australia ABSTRACT: The relationship between salmonid gill bacteria and Neoparamoeba sp., the aetiologi- cal agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD) was determined in vivo. Fish were divided into 4 groups and were subjected to following experimental infections: Group 1, amoebae only; Group 2, Staphylo- coccus sp. and amoebae; Group 3, Winogradskyella sp. and amoebae; Group 4, no treatment (con- trol). Fish (Groups 1, 2 and 3) were exposed to potassium permanganate to remove the natural gill microflora prior to either bacterial or amoebae exposure. AGD severity was quantified by histological analysis of gill sections to determine the percentage of lesioned filaments and the number of affected lamellae within each lesion. All amoebae infected groups developed AGD, with fish in Group 3 show- ing significantly more filaments with lesions than other groups. Typically lesion size averaged between 2 to 4 interlamellar units in all AGD infected groups. The results suggest that the ability of Neoparamoeba sp. to infect filaments and cause lesions might be enhanced in the presence of Wino- gradskyella sp. The possibility is proposed that the prevalence of more severe AGD is due to the occurrence of Winogradskyella sp. at high concentrations on the gills. KEY WORDS: Neoparamoeba · Winogradskyella · AGD · Potassium permanganate · Protozoan diseases · Salmon diseases · Amoeba · Bacteria Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher INTRODUCTION ules or plaques on the gills, immune status, stocking densities and hyperplastic lesion formation during Amoebic gill disease (AGD) is one of the most signif- transfer of salmon from freshwater to seawater icant health problems confronted by the salmon aqua- (Nowak & Munday 1994, Findlay & Munday 1998, culture industry in Tasmania (Munday et al. 2001). Findlay et al. 2000, Zilberg & Munday 2000, Nowak Even though Neoparamoeba sp. is presumed to be the 2001). Lom & Dyková (1992) also suggest that amphi- causative agent of AGD, the exact environmental con- zoic amoebae might typically only colonize the gills ditions or health status of the fish that allow Neo- of partially immunosuppressed fish where bacterial paramoeba sp. to proliferate on fish gills are still growth and mucus provide a ready food source. unknown and Koch’s postulate is yet to be fulfilled for Furthermore, Bowman & Nowak (2004) identified a the disease (Howard et al. 1993). Until now AGD infec- series of bacteria representing a range of distinct tion has always been established by cohabiting naïve ecotypes from the gills of healthy and AGD infected fish with infected fish (Howard et al. 1993, Akhlaghi et marine farmed Atlantic salmon. These authors sug- al. 1996, Findlay 2001), or by exposing fish to isolated, gested that gill bacteria might play a direct role by gill-associated Neoparamoeba sp. (Zilberg et al. 2001, predisposing the fish to AGD, to exacerbate AGD, or Morrison et al. 2004, Morrison et al. 2005) as the if bacteria are present in increased numbers in disease cannot be reproduced using cultured organ- water, might be coincident with AGD outbreaks isms (Kent et al. 1988, Howard et al. 1993, Findlay et al. (Bowman & Nowak 2004). Therefore, the aim of this 2000, Morrison et al. 2005). research is to determine the role of some previously According to previous studies, AGD outbreaks may identified salmonid gill bacteria in the incidence and be influenced by factors such as predisposing nod- severity of AGD. *Email: [email protected] © Inter-Research 2005 · www.int-res.com 56 Dis Aquat Org 67: 55–60, 2005 MATERIALS AND METHODS assay (Phillips 1973) and haemocytometer to give the number of viable cells in solution. Lack of culturable Fish. Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. (n = 72; mean bacteria in the amoebae inoculum was confirmed by weight = 88 g) were acclimatised to sea water (35‰, plating the inoculum on marine Sheih’s agar and 1 µm filtered) over a week in 6 identical recirculating Zobell’s marine agar at 25°C for 48 h. systems each consisting of three 70 l tanks (n = 4 fish Bacteria. Staphylococcus sp. (Gram positive) and per tank) and a 70 l reservoir. A sentinel population Winogradskyella sp. (Gram negative) bacteria were (n = 12) of the same body weight was acclimatised in a selected from previously isolated and characterised gill static tank (210 l). Following acclimatisation, fish in the bacteria strains from AGD affected Atlantic salmon recirculating systems were divided into 3 treatment from commercial farms in Tasmania. Winogradskyella groups (n = 12 fish per treatment). Each treatment was sp. bacteria were cultured in Sheih’s broth (Song et al. duplicated. The 4th group was the sentinel population 1988) and Staphylococcus sp. bacteria were cultured in (n = 12). Fish in Group 1 were exposed to amoebae Todd Hewitt broth (Oxoid). Both were incubated at only (positive control); Group 2, Gram positive bacteria 22°C for 24 to 48 h. The colony morphology and bio- (Staphylococcus sp.) and amoebae; Group 3, Gram chemical profiles (API 50 CH and API Zym, Bio- negative bacteria (Winogradskyella sp.) and amoebae; Mérieux Australia Pty.) of Winogradskyella sp. and Group 4 did not receive any treatment. Sea water tem- Staphylococcus sp. were noted for identification perature was maintained at 16 ± 0.5°C, pH 8.2, dis- purposes. Briefly, Winogradskyella sp. were Gram solved oxygen 7.6 mg l–1, salinity 35‰ and total ammo- negative, rod shaped cells, with a cell length of nia-nitrogen below 0.2 mg l–1. Sufficient air supply was 0.86 µm and cell width 0.39 µm. The colonies were yel- maintained in the tanks throughout the experiment by low pigmented, entire and translucent with low convex using aerators. elevation and 2 mm in length. The API 50 CH test Neoparamoeba sp. isolation. Neoparamoeba sp. showed that Winogradskyella sp. formed acid with were harvested from the AGD affected Atlantic salmon glycerol, L-arabinose, ribose, D-xylose, galactose, glu- held in the Aquaculture Centre, University of Tasma- cose, mannose, manitol, sorbitol, melibiose, sacarose, nia, Launceston by a method described by Morrison et trehalose, D-fucose, D-arabitol, L-arabitol and glu- al. (2004). In brief, infected gills were removed from conate. The API Zym test showed that Winograd- AGD affected Atlantic salmon after euthanasia (anaes- skyella sp. metabolised alkaline phosphatase, esterase thetic overdose at 20 ml l–1Aqui-S®). Gills were trans- lipase (C8), α-chymotrypsin, leucine arylamidase, ported to the laboratory in sterile sea water (SS) con- valine arylamidase, acid phosphatase and napthol-AS taining antibiotic and antimycotic solution (5% v/v Bl phosphohydrolase. Staphylococcus sp. were Gram 5000 IU ml–1 penicillin and 5 mg ml–1 streptomycin positive, coccus shaped cells arranged in clusters. The solution (Sigma), 1% v/v 10 mg ml–1 gentamycin cell length was 0.9 µm and width was 0.39 µm. The (Sigma) and 0.25 mg ml–1 amphotericin B (Invitrogen). colonies were yellow pigmented, entire and opaque The gill arches were separated and scraped to remove with low convex elevation and 2 mm in length. Staphy- the amoebae. Gill arches were then placed in sterile lococcus sp. formed acid with glucose, fructose, mani- distilled water to loosen the rest of the attached amoe- tol, maltose and sacarose. It also metabolised esterase bae and the mixture was centrifuged at 400 × g for (C4) and napthol-AS Bl phosphohydrolase. 5 min. The supernatant was discarded and the pellets Inoculation with bacteria and amoebae. Prior to were resuspended in SS and diluted approximately inoculation, fish from the treatment groups were trans- 50 fold, lightly agitated and decanted into several Petri ferred using dip-nets from recirculation tanks to dishes. Amoebae were left to adhere to the bottom of individual static tanks for a short term bath (20 min) in the Petri dish for 1 h, then the liquid transferred into sea water (208 l) containing potassium permanganate –1 new Petri dishes to allow adherence of any remaining (5 mg KMnO4 l ) to remove the natural microflora amoebae for another hour. The fluid was then removed on the gills (Jee & Plumb 1981, R. Francis-Floyd & and the Petri dishes were washed several times with R. Klinger, available at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA027). SS to remove mucus and epithelial cells, while the The sentinel fish were handled in the same way but amoebae remained attached to the bottom of the Petri were bathed in a tank containing sea water only. After dish. The amoebae were detached by adding 750 µl the bath, fish were transferred back to their respective trypsin-EDTA solution (0.025% trypsin per 1 mM systems and were maintained for 2 d to return to nor- EDTA; Invitrogen) and by gently tapping the Petri mal conditions. To establish baseline community struc- dishes for a minute. The suspension was then pooled ture, 2 fish from each group were euthanised as and diluted with SS and centrifuged at 400 × g for described previously and gill mucus and kidney sam- 10 min. The pellets were resuspended in SS and the ples were collected and inoculated onto a range of amoebae were counted using a trypan blue exclusion media including Sheih’s medium (Song et al. 1988), Embar-Gopinath et al.: Role of bacteria in AGD 57 Marine Agar (Difco), Tryptone Soya Agar (Oxoid), differences between groups were assessed using Todd Hewitt (Oxoid). The agar plates were incubated Tukey’s HSD post hoc test.