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W. Ahne

Publications and source records attributed to W. Ahne.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2010

Prevention of infectious diseases in aquaculture

Infectious diseases remain one of the most important limitations to the successful propagation of aquatic animals. Most of the losses caused by pathogens in aquaculture could be prevented by health inspection, adequate environment and sound management practices. Effective control measures, mainly based upon 1) avoidance of pathogens 2) modification of the environment 3) improvement of host resistance 4) vaccination and 5) chemoprophylaxis are described.

Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series B↗
USGS2005

Sequence motifs and prokaryotic expression of the reptilian paramyxovirus fusion protein

Fourteen reptilian paramyxovirus isolates were chosen to represent the known extent of genetic diversity among this novel group of viruses. Selected regions of the fusion (F) gene were sequenced, analyzed and compared. The F gene of all isolates contained conserved motifs homologous to those described for other members of the family Paramyxoviridae including: signal peptide, transmembrane domain, furin cleavage site, fusion peptide, N-linked glycosylation sites, and two heptad repeats, the second of which (HRB-LZ) had the characteristics of a leucine zipper. Selected regions of the fusion gene of isolate Gono-GER85 were inserted into a prokaryotic expression system to generate three recombinant protein fragments of various sizes. The longest recombinant protein was cleaved by furin into two fragments of predicted length. Western blot analysis with virus-neutralizing rabbit-antiserum against this isolate demonstrated that only the longest construct reacted with the antiserum. This construct was unique in containing 30 additional C-terminal amino acids that included most of the HRB-LZ. These results indicate that the F genes of reptilian paramyxoviruses contain highly conserved motifs typical of other members of the family and suggest that the HRB-LZ domain of the reptilian paramyxovirus F protein contains a linear antigenic epitope. ?? Springer-Verlag 2005.

Archives of Virology↗
USGS2002

Spring viremia of carp

pring viremia of carp (SVC) is an important disease affecting cyprinids, mainly common carp Cyprinus carpio . The disease is widespread in European carp culture, where it causes significant morbidity and mortality. Designated a notifiable disease by the Office International des Epizooties, SVC is caused by a rhabdovirus, spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV). Affected fish show destruction of tissues in the kidney, spleen and liver, leading to hemorrhage, loss of water-salt balance and impairment of immune response. High mortality occurs at water temperatures of 10 to 17°C, typically in spring. At higher temperatures, infected carp develop humoral antibodies that can neutralize the spread of virus and such carp are protected against re-infection by solid immunity. The virus is shed mostly with the feces and urine of clinically infected fish and by carriers. Waterborne transmission is believed to be the primary route of infection, but bloodsucking parasites like leeches and the carp louse may serve as mechanical vectors of SVCV. The genome of SVCV is composed of a single molecule of linear, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA containing 5 genes in the order 3¹-NPMGL-5¹ coding for the viral nucleoprotein, phosphoprotein, matrix protein, glycoprotein, and polymerase, respectively. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the viral proteins, and sequence homologies between the genes and gene junctions of SVCV and vesicular stomatitis viruses, have led to the placement of the virus as a tentative member of the genus Vesiculovirus in the family Rhabdoviridae . These methods also revealed that SVCV is not related to fish rhabdoviruses of the genus Novirhabdovirus . In vitro replication of SVCV takes place in the cytoplasm of cultured cells of fish, bird and mammalian origin at temperatures of 4 to 31°C, with an optimum of about 20°C. Spring viremia of carp can be diagnosed by clinical signs, isolation of virus in cell culture and molecular methods. Antibodies directed against SVCV react with the homologous virus in serum neutralization, immunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, but they cross-react to various degrees with the pike fry rhabdovirus (PFR), suggesting the 2 viruses are closely related. However, SVCV and PFR can be distinguished by certain serological tests and molecular methods such as the ribonuclease protection assay.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms↗
USGS1999

Comparative sequence analyses of sixteen reptilian paramyxoviruses

Viral genomic RNA of Fer-de-Lance virus (FDLV), a paramyxovirus highly pathogenic for reptiles, was reverse transcribed and cloned. Plasmids with significant sequence similarities to the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and polymerase (L) genes of mammalian paramyxoviruses were identified by BLAST search. Partial sequences of the FDLV genes were used to design primers for amplification by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of 518-bp L gene and 352-bp HN gene fragments from a collection of 15 previously uncharacterized reptilian paramyxoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial L and HN sequences produced similar trees in which there were two distinct subgroups of isolates that were supported with maximum bootstrap values, and several intermediate isolates. Within each subgroup the nucleotide divergence values were less than 2.5%, while the divergence between the two subgroups was 20-22%. This indicated that the two subgroups represent distinct virus species containing multiple virus strains. The five intermediate isolates had nucleotide divergence values of 11-20% and may represent additional distinct species. In addition to establishing diversity among reptilian paramyxoviruses, the phylogenetic groupings showed some correlation with geographic location, and clearly demonstrated a low level of host species-specificity within these viruses. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.

Virus Research↗
USGS1998

A ribonuclease protection assay can distinguish spring viremia of carp virus from pike fry rhabdovirus

Thirteen rhabdovirus isolates from 10 teleost fish species as well as reference strains of spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) and pike fry rhabdovirus (PFRV) cross-reacted in an indirect immunofluorescence assay and were thus indistinguishable by this method. A ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) using a super(32)P-labeled RNA probe made from a cloned copy of the full length SVCV glycoprotein (G) gene was able to discriminate clearly between the type strains of SVCV and PFRV and among the 13 rhabdovirus isolates. Results for the RPA were generally in agreement with standard serum neutralisation assays; however, the RPA was also able to detect genomic differences between isolates of SVCV. These results have implications for fish disease control programs for SVCV.

Bulletin of the European Association of Fish Patho↗
USGS1995

Characterization of a rhabdovirus isolated from carpione Salmo trutta carpio in Italy

A virus, strain 583, was isolated from carpione Salmo trutta carpio fry exhibiting high mortality. The virus was not neutralized by rabbit antisera against the fish rhabdoviruses viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, eel rhabdovirus European X, spring viraemia of carp virus or pike fry rhabdovirus, or against the birnavirus infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. The virus replicated in several fish cell lines incubated at 20 to 25*C and grew optimally in the bluegill fry (BF-2) and fathead minnow (FHM) cell lines. Electron microscopy of infected BF-2 cell cultures revealed the presence of typical rhabdovirus particles, and immunofluorescent staining was observed using various polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Egtved virus, the causative agent of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia. The staining by a MAb against the nucleoprotein (N) of VHSV was particularly strong, a MAb against the glycoprotein (G) gave a moderate reaction, whereas a second MAb against the G protein and MAbs against the matrix proteins, M_(1) and M_(2), of VHSV did not react. Fluorescence titres using 3 rabbit antisera against whole Egtved virus varied between negative and moderately positive. Western blotting using polyclonal and monoclonal sera confirmed that both the N and G proteins of the carpione virus shared some epitopes with those of VHSV, but the M_(1) and M_(2) proteins did not. SDS-PAGE showed the structural proteins of the carpione virus produced a pattern typical of members of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae and the molecular weights were very similar to those of VHSV, except for the M_(2) protein which was somewhat smaller. Infection trials showed the carpione virus induced high mortalities in carpione fry but not in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry. The carpione virus was clearly distinguishable from Egtved virus despite limited serological cross reaction. Since it was also easily distinguishable by immunofluorescence from the other fish rhabdoviruses included in the present study as well as in studies published elsewhere, it is concluded that the virus is a previously undescribed one. It is proposed that the virus be given the preliminary designation 'carpione rhabdovirus'.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms↗