Isopods are parasitic crustaceans that pose serious threat to fisheries. Several studies have tried to explore the host-pathogen relationship between marine fishes and isopods. The present study aims to understanding the secondary infections in marine fishes pertaining to isopods. To assess the secondary infection in infected fishes, parasite infested and healthy tissues of fishes were collected. The samples were subjected to standard microbiological procedure to identify the presence of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Our results showed the branchial region had the higher microbial load of non-sporulating cenocytic fungi in infected fishes. Moreover, fungal strains isolated from the parasitic lesion confirmed that the parasitation and body lesion facilitates the entry of several pathogenic microbes at the damaged host tissue. More over the immune regulation of fish fights back by producing minute cysts, trying to encapsulate the growing fungus. But this may eventually lead to systemic infestation and death of the fish.

In a previous study on the parasites of cultured rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus), we reported the discovery of a new species, Ceratomyxa oplegnathus, obtained from the gallbladder. In the present study, we found another Ceratomyxa species, C. sparusaurati, also from the gallbladder of rock bream. The morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of C. sparusaurati were investigated using light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Lectins play significant roles in the innate immune responses through binding to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) on the surfaces of microorganisms. In the present study, tissue distribution and expression analysis of olive flounder lectins were performed after viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) challenge. Fish egg lectin and serum lectin were found to be predominantly expressed in the gills and liver, these results indicate that the transcript expression of olive flounder lectins is concentrated in immune-related tissues. Following a VHSV challenge, an overall increase in the transcript levels of the genes was observed and the expression patterns were distinctly divided into early and later responses during VHSV infection. In conclusion, olive flounder lectins are specifically expressed in immune-related organs and induced in both the immediate and long-lasting immune responses to VHSV in the olive flounder. These results indicate that lectins may be play important roles in the host defense mechanism and involved in the innate and adaptive immune response to viruses in fish.

In human medicine, circulating microRNAs have been successfully utilized as early biomarkers for various abnormalities and disease states. Vertebrate miR-122 is a liver-specific microRNA which is expressed almost solely in hepatocytes and plays an important role in the regulation of hepatocyte function. In this study, to evaluate the potential utility of circulating miR-122 as a biomarker for liver injury in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), fish were orally intubated with two doses of acetaminophen (500 mg/kg or 1.000 mg/kg of body weight), and the expression of miR-122 in serum was quantified using real time-PCR. Histological change in liver, and the enzymatic activity of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were also analyzed. The results showed that miR-122 was higher in acetaminophen administered groups compared to control group. The histopathological effect of acetaminophen on olive flounder liver was not distinct. The serum level of GPT and GOT was increased within 2 folds compared to control group by acetaminophen administration. However, the serum miR-122 level was increased more than 3 or 4 folds compared to the control group by administration of 1000 mg/kg of acetaminophen. These results suggest the possible use of miR-122 as an indicator of liver injury in olive flounder, even when histopathological effects are not distinctive.

전복의 면역, 생리 및 생태에 관한 기초 연구는 매우 부족하며 전복 질병에 관한 연구 또한 어류에 비하여 극히 취약한 상태이다. 외국의 경우 전복 치패에서 vibrios로 인한 피해 사례가 많이 보고되어 있으나 우리나라에서는 세균성 질병으로 인한 전복 폐사에 관한 보고가 드물다. 그러나 폐사체로부터 vibrios가 높은 빈도로 분리되고 있어 이들 Vibrio속 세균과 전복 폐사와의 관련성에 대한 검토가 필요하다. 현재 전복 양식 현장에서는 질병으로 인한 피해를 최소화하기 위해 항균제를 사용하고 있지만 치료 효과는 미미한 수준이다. 이에 대한 대책으로 probiotics에 대한 요구가 증가하고 있어 본 연구에서는 인체에 위해하지 않은 균을 분리하여 전복 probiotics로서의 개발 가능성을 알아보았다. 잘 숙성된 김치액에서 분리된 균들 중 다양한 vibrios에 대하여 항균력을 나타낸 KC16-2을 candidate probiotic 균으로 선발하였다. KC16-2는 생화학적 특성과 16S rRNA gene sequence에 근거하여 Bacillus amyloliquefaciens로 동정되었다 (B. amyloliquefaciens KC16-2). B. amyloliquefaciens KC16-2는 in vitro 실험에서 병원성 비브리오에 대하여 광범위한 생장 억제 효과를 보였으며, 온도 $15{\sim}25^{\circ}C$의 해수에서 4일까지 일정수를 유지하였으므로 겨울 이외의 기간에는 사용이 가능하다고 판단되었다. 또한 담즙에 의해 생장이 억제되었으나 시간 경과에 따라 처음 투여 농도보다 증가하는 양상이 관찰되어 담즙이 있는 곳에서도 생존 가능하다고 판단되었다. 시판 사료에 KC16-2를 혼합하여 12주간 전복에 투여하였을 때 대조구에 비해 다소 좋은 성장을 보였으나 통계학적으로 유의한 차이는 없었다. 한편 전복에 병원성을 가진 Vibrio tubiashii의 인위감염실험에서 probiotic사료를 공급한 수조에서 폐사율을 약 50% 감소시키는 결과를 나타냄으로써 기회성 vibrios로 인한 전복의 폐사를 줄이기 위하여 KC16-2의 사용이 긍정적으로 검토될 수 있음을 시사하였다.