• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2021

Rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) is a highly valued aquaculture species in Korea. However, the aquaculture industry suffers huge economic losses due to rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) infection in summer. The objective of this study was to determine genetic diversity and relationships of DNAs isolated from two groups of rock bream after RBIV infection using five microsatellite (MS) markers. The first group of fish died early and the second group of fish died later after RBIV infection. In this experiment, 90 fish (5.1±1.0 cm and 4.1±1.3 g) were injected with 50 μl of RBIV (10⁴ TCID⁵⁰/ml) and maintained at 26℃ for 15 days. Genomic DNAs were extracted from fins of 20 fish that died earlier or later after RBIV infection. These DNAs were subjected to genotyping using five MS markers (CA-03, CA3-05, CA3-06, CA-10, and CA3-36). Of these markers, CA3-05 (early death group), CA3-06 (late death group), and CA3-36 (both early and late death groups) showed different alleles distribution rates. In-depth studies are needed to provide valuable information for selecting RBIV-resistant fish. In conclusion, microsatellite marker distribution pattern differences between early- and late- death groups of rock bream after RBIV infection showing different RBIV susceptibilities were determined using MS markers and genotyping. Results of this study suggest that MS markers could be used to facilitate the selection of RBIV resistant rock bream.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

Rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) is a member of the Megalocytivirus genus that causes severe mortality to rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) with characteristic clinical signs of spleen enlargement. In this study, we assessed spleen size and RBIV copy number patterns in RBIV-infected rock bream to determine lethal and safe levels of virus copy number/spleen index that may define disease progress. We found that rock bream infected with RBIV ($1.1{\times}10^7virus\;copy\;number/100{\mu}l$) and held at 29, 26, 23 or $20^{\circ}C$ exhibited significantly higher levels of spleen size compared to $17^{\circ}C$. In dead condition (100% mortality at $20{\sim}29^{\circ}C$), the spleen index ($spleen\;weight/fish\;weight{\times}100$) and virus copy number were 3.00~5.38 and $10^6{\sim}10^8/{\mu}l$, respectively. Conversely, in survived condition (0% mortality at $17^{\circ}C$), spleen index and virus copy number was as low as not-infected control ($0.34{\sim}1.22/10^0{\sim}10^1/{\mu}l$, respectively). These findings suggest that spleen index can be an indicator of disease severity of RBIV disease.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.191-211
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• 2023

Rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) causes high mortality and economic losses in rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) aquaculture industry in Korea. Although, the immune responses of rock bream under RBIV infection have been studied, there is not much information at the different stages of infection (initial, middle and recovery). Gene expression profiling of rock bream under different RBIV infection stages was investigated using a microarray approaches. In total, 5699 and 6557 genes were significantly up- or down-regulated over 2-fold, respectively, upon RBIV infection. These genes were grouped into categories such as innate immune responses, adaptive immune responses, complements, lectin, antibacterial molecule, stress responses, DNA/RNA binding, energy metabolism, transport and cell cycle. Interestingly, hemoglobins (α and β) appears to be important during pathogenesis; it is highly up-regulated at the initial stage and is gradually decreased when the pathogen most likely multiplying and fish begin to die at the middle or later stage. Expression levels were re-elevated at the recovery stage of infection. Among up-regulated genes, interferon-related genes were found to be responsive in most stages of RBIV infection. Moreover, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)-associated factor 1 (XAF1) expression was high, whereas expression of apoptosis-relate genes were low. In addition, stress responses were highly induced in the virus infection. The cDNA microarray data were validated using quantative real-time PCR. Our results provide novel inslights into the broad immune responses triggered by RBIV at different infection stages.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.85-89
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• 2014

Water temperature is a key environmental factor controlling the epizootics of viral diseases in fish. High water temperature is associated with the rapid spread of rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) disease and with high mortality of RBIV infected fish. Although protection of fish against iridoviral disease by active immunization has been reported, little information is available concerning whether fish survived from an epizootic of iridoviral disease can naturally acquire resistance against the viral disease. In the present study, we have demonstrated that juvenile rock bream, which survived from a natural epizootic of RBIV, acquired resistance against recurrence or reinfection of RBIV, and this resistance was established during the subsequent low water temperature period. Furthermore, the possible involvement of the adaptive humoral immune response in the resistance of the juvenile rock bream was suggested by in vivo neutralization experiment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2008

The susceptibility of five different marine fish to iridovirus IVS-1 infection was analyzed and found a higher the cumulative mortality in the order of rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus), red sea bream (Pagrus major), sea perch (Lateolabrax sp.), rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) and black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegeli). However, the concentrations of virus in the infected spleens of these species did not differ significantly. To determine the release of iridovirus from infected fish into culturing seawater, rock bream were challenged with iridovirus IVS-1 and the concentration of virus in the water was analyzed using PCR. Over the 10 days of the analysis, the linear relationship between the number of dead fish and viral DNA concentration found in culturing seawater should be considered direct evidence of horizontal iridovirus transmission.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2010

To determine whether rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus can be protected from rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) infection by intramuscular injection of long double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), we compared protective effect of virus-specific dsRNAs corresponding to major capsid protein (MCP), ORF 084, ORF 086 genes, and virus non-specific green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. Furthermore, to determine whether the non-specific type I interferon (IFN) response was associated with protective effect, we estimated the activation of type I IFN response in fish using expression level of IFN inducible Mx gene as a marker. As a result, mortality of fish injected with dsRNAs and challenged with RBIV was delayed for a few days when comparing with PBS injected control group. However, virus-specific dsRNA injected groups exhibited no significant differences in survival period when compared to the GFP dsRNA injected group. Semi-quantitative analysis indicated that the degree of antiviral response via type I IFN response is supposedly equal among dsRNA injected fish. These results suggest that type I IFN response rather than sequence-specific RNA interference might involve in the lengthened survival period of fish injected with virus-specific dsRNAs.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2017

Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is known to interfere with viral replication and infection by limiting the viral infection of cells. Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) interferes with viral replication and infectivity by limiting viral infection in cells. It also plays an important role in the immune response. In this study, tissue-specific expression of ISG15 in healthy rock bream samples and spatial and temporal expression analysis of rock bream ISG15 (RbISG15) were performed following rock bream iridovirus (RSIV) infection. RbISG15 expression was significantly higher in the eye, gill, intestine, kidney, liver, muscle, spleen, and stomach, but low in the brain. There were particularly high levels of expression in the liver and muscle. RbISG15 expression was also examined in several tissues and at various times following RSIV infection. ISG15 expression increased within 3 h in the whole body and decreased at 24 h after infection. In addition, temporal expression of several tissues following RSIV infection showed a similar pattern in the muscle, kidney, and spleen, increasing at 3 h and decreasing at 72 h. These results suggest that ISG15 plays an important role in the immune response of rock bream. Overall, this study characterizes the response of RbISG15 following RSIV infection.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.141-155
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• 2022

Rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) causes high mortality and economic losses in the rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) aquaculture industry in Korea. Viral open reading frames (ORFs) expression profiling at different RBIV infection stages was investigated using microarray approaches. Rock bream were exposed to the virus and held for 7 days at 23 ℃ before the water temperature was reduced to 17 ℃. Herein, 28% mortality was observed from 24 to 35 days post infection (dpi), after which no mortality was observed until 70 dpi (end of the experiment). A total of 27 ORFs were significantly up- or down-regulated after RBIV infection. In RBIV-infected rock bream, four viral genes were expressed after 2 dpi. Most RBIV ORFs (26 genes, 96.2%) were significantly elevated between 7 and 20 dpi. Among them, 12 ORF (44.4%) transcripts reached their peak expression intensity at 15 dpi, and 14 ORFs (51.8%) were at peak expression intensity at 20 dpi. Expression levels began to decrease after 25 dpi, and 92.6% of ORFs (25 genes) were expressed below 1-fold at 70 dpi. From the microarray data, in addition to the viral infection, viral gene expression profiles were categorized into three infection stages, namely, early (2 dpi), middle (7 to 20 dpi), and recovery (25 and 70 dpi). RBIV ORFs 009R, 023R, 032L, 049L, and 056L were remarkably expressed during RBIV infection. Furthermore, six ORFs (001L, 013R, 052L, 053L, 058L, and 061L) were significantly expressed only at 20 dpi. To verify the cDNA microarray data, we performed quantitative real-time PCR, and the results were similar to that of the microarray. Our results provide novel observations on broader RBIV gene expression at different stages of infection and the development of control strategies against RBIV infection.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

Red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV), belonging to the genus Megalocytivirus, is the predominant cause of mortality in marine fishes in Korea, including rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). Rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) are the host fish for RSIV, exhibiting no clinical signs or mortality. Cohabitation challenges, which mimicked natural transmission conditions, were performed to evaluate viral transmission between rock bream and rockfish, and to determine the pathogenicity and viral loads. In cohabitation challenge, artificially RSIV-infected rock bream were the viral donor, and healthy rockfish were the recipient. The results showed that although the donor rock bream had 95-100 % cumulative mortality (>10⁸ viral genome copies/mg of spleen 7-14 days after viral infection), the recipient rockfish did not die, even when the viral genome copies in the spleen were >10⁵ copies/mg. These results indicated asymptomatic infections. Notably, in a reverse-cohabitation challenge (artificially RSIV-infected rockfish as the viral donor and healthy rock bream as the recipient), RSIV horizontally infected from subclinical rockfish to rock bream (10⁷ viral genome copies/mg of spleen 21 days after cohabitation) with 10-20% cumulative mortality. These results suggest that an asymptomatic, infected rockfish can naturally transmit the RSIV without being sacrificed.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2021

Genus Megalocytivirus cause red sea bream iridoviral disease (RSIVD) and scale drop disease (SDD). Based on the phylogeny of the major capsid protein (MCP) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) genes, megalocytiviruses except for SDD virus (SDDV) could be three different genotypes, red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV), infectious spleen and kidney necrosis (ISKNV), and turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV). In this study, primary cells derived from the caudal fin of rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) grew at 25℃ in Leibovitz's medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and primocin (100 ㎍/mL). Rock bream fin (RBF) cells exhibited susceptibility to infections by different genotypes of megalocytiviruses (RSIV, ISKNV and TRBIV) with the appearance of cytopathic effects with an increase in the viral genome copy number. Furthermore, compared to grunt fin (GF) cells, even though 10 times lower number of RSIV genome copies were inoculated in RBF cells, viral genome copy number produced on RBF cells were 44 times higher than that of GF cells at 7 d post-inoculation. As the isolated RBF cells are sensitive to different genotypes of megalocytiviruses (RSIV, ISKNV and TRBIV), they can be used for future studies regarding in vitro viral infection and subsequent diagnosis.