Interaction between a Peptide and White Spot Syndrome Virus VP28 Envelope Protein

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most important pathogens that endanger the global shrimp aquaculture. Studies have confirmed that in the early stage of infection, VP28, the main envelope protein of WSSV, is used as a viral adhesion protein to bind PcRab7 of Penaeus chinensis, helping virus enter the host cells, resulting in shrimp infection. Hence, inhibition of envelope protein VP28 would be a novel way to deal with the infection. Peptide 2E6 was confirmed to have a high specificity and blocked virus infection. However, the mechanism by which it combines with VP28 is not clear. Clarifying the binding mechanism between peptides and VP28 is of great significance for further optimization and screening of antiviral peptides. In this research, the MD simulation and binding free energy analysis were implemented to validate and capture intermolecular interactions aims to clarify the blocking mechanism.

Development and application of antibody microarray for white spot syndrome virus detection in shrimp

Detecting white spot syndrome virus （WSSV） in shrimp in high efficiency and veracity is important for disease prevention in aquaculture. Antibody-based mieroarray is a novel proteomic technology that can meet the requirements. In this study, we developed an antibody microarray for WSSV-detection in a specific and parallel way at multiple samples. First, seven slides each with different modifications were characterized by atomic force microscope, and were compared in the efficiency of immobilizing proteins. Of the seven, 3-dimensional structured agarose gel-modified slides were chosen appropriate for the microarray for having higher signal value and superior spot size. A purified rabbit anti-WSSV antibody was arrayed as the capture antibody of the microarray on the agarose gel-modified slides, and then the mieroarray slides were incubated in the tissue homogenate of sampled shrimp and the antibody-antigen complex was detected by Cy3-conjugated anti-WSSV monoclonal antibody. The results were measured by a laser chipscanner and analyzed with software. To obtain satisfied fluorescence signal intensity, optimal conditions were searched. The detection limit of the antibody microarray for WSSV is 0.62μg/mL, with a woven long shelf life for 6 months at 4℃ or 8 months at -20℃. Furthermore, concordance between antibody microarray and traditional indirect ELISA reached 100% for WSSV detection. These results suggest that the antibody microarray could be served as an effective tool for diagnostic and epidemiological studies of WSSV.

Proteomic Analyses of the Shrimp White Spot Syndrome Virus

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), a unique member within the virus family Nimaviridae, is the most notorious aquatic virus infecting shrimp and other crustaceans and has caused enormous economic losses in the shrimp farming industry worldwide. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of WSSV morphogenesis, structural proteins, and replication is essential for developing prevention measures of this serious parasite. The viral genome is approximately 300kb and contains more than 180 open reading frames (ORF). However, most of proteins encoded by these ORF have not been characterized. Due to the importance of WSSV structural proteins in the composition of the virion structure, infection process and interaction with host cells, knowledge of structural proteins is essential to understanding WSSV entry and infection as well as for exploring effective prevention measures. This review article summarizes mainly current investigations on WSSV structural proteins including the relative quantities, localization, function and protein-protein interactions. Traditional proteomic studies of 1D or 2D gel electrophoresis separations and mass spectrometry (MS) followed by database searches have identified a total of 39 structural proteins. Shotgun proteomics and iTRAQ were initiated to identify more structural proteins. To date, it is estimated that WSSV is assembled by at least 59 structural proteins, among them 35 are defined as the envelope fraction (including tegument proteins) and 9 as nucleocapsid proteins. Furthermore, the interaction within several major structural proteins has also been investigated. This identitification and characterization of WSSV protein components should help in the understanding of the viral assembly process and elucidate the roles of several major structural proteins.

Impact of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and white spot syndrome virus(WSSV)co-infection on survival of penaeid shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

White spot syndrome virus(WSSV) is an important viral pathogen that infects farmed penaeid shrimp, and the threat of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection to shrimp farming has become increasingly severe. Viral and bacterial cross or superimposed infections may induce higher shrimp mortality. We used a feeding method to infect L itopenaeus vannamei with WSSV and then injected a low dose of V. parahaemolyticus(WSSV+Vp), or we fi rst infected L. vannamei with a low-dose injection of V. parahaemolyticus and then fed the shrimp WSSV to achieve viral infection(Vp+WSSV). The effect of V. parahaemolyticus and WSSV co-infection on survival of L. vannamei was evaluated by comparing cumulative mortality rates between experimental and control groups. We also spread L. vannamei hemolymph on thiosulfate citrate bile salt sucrose agar plates to determine the number of V ibrio, and the WSSV copy number in L. vannamei gills was determined using an absolute quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method. L v My D88 and Lvakt gene expression levels were detected in gills of L. vannamei by real-time PCR to determine the cause of the different mortality rates. Our results show that(1) the cumulative mortality rate of L. vannamei in the WSSV+Vp group reached 100% on day 10 after WSSV infection, whereas the cumulative mortality rate of L. vannamei in the Vp+WSSV group and the WSSV-alone control group approached 100% on days 11 and 13 of infection;(2) the number of Vibrio in the L. vannamei group infected with V. parahaemolyticus alone declined gradually, whereas the other groups showed signifi cant increases in the numbers of Vibrio( P <0.05);(3) the WSSV copy numbers in the gills of the WSSV+Vp, Vp+WSSV, and the WSSV-alone groups increased from 10 5 to 10 7 /mg tissue 72, 96, and 144 h after infection, respectively. These results suggest that V. parahaemolyticus infection accelerated proliferation of WSSV in L. vannamei and vice versa. The combined accelerated proliferation of both V. parahaemolyticus and WSSV led to massive death of L. vannamei.

Peritrophin-like protein from Litopenaeus vannamei (LvPT) involved in white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in digestive tract challenged with reverse gavage

The peritrophic membrane plays an important role in the defense system of the arthropod gut. The digestive tract is considered one of the major tissues targeted by white spot syndrome virus （WSSV） in shrimp. In this study, the nucleotide sequence encoding peritrophin-like protein of Litopenaeus vannamei （LvPT） was amplified from a yeast two-hybrid library of L. vannamei. The epitope peptide of LvPT was predicted with the GenScript OptimumAntigenTM design tool. An anti-LvPT polyclonal antibody was produced and shown to specifically bind a band at -27 kDa, identified as LvPT. The LvPT protein was expressed and its concentration determined. LvPT dsRNA （4 pg per shrimp） was used to inhibit LvPT expression in shrimp, and a WSSV challenge experiment was then performed with reverse gavage. The pleopods, stomachs, and guts were collected from the shrimp at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h post-infection （hpi）. Viral load quantification showed that the levels of WSSV were significantly lower in the pleopods, stomachs, and guts of shrimp after LvPT dsRNA interference than in those of the controls at 48 and 72 hpi. Our results imply that LvPT plays an important role during WSSV infection of the digestive tract.

White spot syndrome virus envelope protein VP124 involved in the virus infection

White spot syndrome virus （WSSV） is one of the major shrimp pathogens causing large economic losses to shrimp farming. In an attempt to identify the envelope proteins involved in the virus infection, purified WSSV virions were mixed with three antisera against WSSV envelope proteins （VP39, VP124 and VP187 ）, individually. And then they were injected intramuscularly into crayfish （Procambarus clarkii） to conduct in vivo neutralization assays. The results showed that for groups injected with virions only and groups injected with the mixture of virions and antiserum against VP124, the crayfish mortalities were 100% and 60% on the 8th day postinfection, individually. The virus infection could be delayed or neutralized by antibody against the envelope protein VP124. Quantitative PCR was used to further investigate the influence of three antisera described above on the virus infection. The results showed that the antiserum against VP124 could restrain the propagation of WSSV in crayfish. All of the results suggested that the viral envelope protein VP124 played a role in WSSV infection.

White spot syndrome virus inactivation study by using gamma irradiation

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation on white spot syndrome virus （WS SV）. White spot syndrome virus is a pathogen of major economic importance in cultured penaeid shrimp industries. White spot disease can cause mortalities reaching 100% within 3-10 days of gross signs appearing. During the period of culture, immunostimulant agents and vaccines may provide potential methods to protect shrimps from opportunistic and pathogenic microrganisms. In this study, firstly, WSSV was isolated from infected shrimp and then multiplied in crayfish. WSSV was purified from the infected crayfish haemolymph by sucrose gradient and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. In vivo virus titration was performed in shrimp, Penaeus semisulcatus. The LD50 of live virus stock was calculated 1054/mL. Shrimp post-larvae （1-2 g） were treated with gamma-irradiated （different doses） WSSV （10^o to 10^-4 dilutions） for a period of 10 days. The dose/survival curve for irradiated and un-irradiated WSSV was drawn; the optimum dose range for inactivation of WSSV and unaltered antigenicity was obtained 14- 15 kGy. This preliminary information suggests that shrimp appear to benefit from treatment with gamma- irradiated WSSV especially at 14-15 KGy.

Construction of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) whole genome phage display library

A rebuilt vector pCANTAB 5 EE was obtained by inserting a 34 bp double-stranded oligonucleotide which contained a EcoRV recognition sequence into pCANTAB 5 E. White spot syndrome virus （WSSV） genome DNA was fragmented by sonication to isolate fragments mainly in the range of 0.8 ～2.0 kb, then the fragments were blunt-ended with T4 DNA polymerase and cloned into the EcoRV site of pCANTAB 5 EE. The primary recombinant clone of the library was 3.0 × 10^5.Colony PCR of random selected recombinants showed that the size of the inserts was 0.12 ～ 1.77 kb. After the whole library recombinant phages infected Escherichia coli HB2151 cells, the extracellular and periplasmic extracts were dropped on PVDF membranes to perform dot blot, using polyclonal mouse anti-VP24 serum,anti-WSV026 serum,anti-WSV063 serum,anti-WSV069 serum,anti-WSV112 serum, anti WSV238 serum,anti-WSV303 serum and anti-VP26 serum as the primary antibody, respectively. The results showed that the display library could express the viral proteins.

Characterization and Diagnostic Use of a Monoclonal Antibody for VP28 Envelope Protein of White Spot Syndrome Virus

The gene encoding the VP28 envelope protein of White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was cloned into expression vector pET-30a and transformed into the Escherichia coli strain BL21.After induction,the recombinant VP28 (rVP28) protein was purified and then used to immunize Balb/c mice for monoclonal antibody (MAb) production.It was observed by immuno-electron microscopy the MAbs specific to rVP28 could recognize native VP28 target epitopes of WSSV and dot-blot analysis was used to detect natural WSSV infection.Competitive PCR showed that the viral level was approximately 104 copies/mg tissue in the dilution of gill homogenate of WSSV-infected crayfish at the detection limit of dot-blot assay.Our results suggest that dot-blot analysis with anti-rVP28 MAb could rapidly and sensitively detect WSSV at the early stages of WSSV infection.

Identification and Characterization of Nuclear Localization Signals within the Nucleocapsid Protein VP15 of White Spot Syndrome Virus

The nucleocapsid protein VP15 of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a basic DNA-binding protein. Three canonical bipartite nuclear localization signals (NLSs), called NLS1 (aa 11-27), NLS2 (aa 33-49) and NLS3 (44-60), have been detected in this protein, using the ScanProsite computer program. To determine the nuclear localization sequence of VP15, the full-length open reading frame, or the sequence of one of the three NLSs, was fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, and transiently expressed in insect Sf9 cells. Transfection with full-length VP15 resulted in GFP fluorescence being distributed exclusively in the nucleus. NLS1 alone could also direct GFP to the nucleus, but less efficiently. Neither of the other two NLSs (NLS2 and 3) was functional when expressed alone, but exhibited similar activity to NLS1 when they were expressed as a fusion peptide. Furthermore, a mutated VP15, in which the two basic amino acids (11RR12) of NLS1 were changed to two alanines (11AA12), caused GFP to be localized only in the cytoplasm of Sf9 cells. These results demonstrated that VP15, as a nuclear localization protein, needs cooperation between its three NLSs, and that the two residues (11RR12) of NLS1 play a key role in transporting the protein to the nucleus.

Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies of Shrimp White Spot Syndrome Virus Envelope Protein VP28

BALB/c 老鼠与净化的白点症候群病毒(WSSV ) 被使免疫。六根 monoclonal 抗体房间线被 ELISA 选择， VP28 蛋白质在 E 表示了。coli。在 vitro 中立化，实验证明他们中的 4 个能在喇蛄禁止病毒感染。西方污点建议所有这些 monoclonal 抗体对 VP28 的 conformational 结构。monoclonal 抗体 7B4 用胶体的金粒子被标记并且过去常由标记的 immunogold 在病毒信封上定位 VP28。这些 monoclonal 抗体能被用来为 WSSV 感染开发免疫学的诊断方法。关键词怀特点症候群病毒(WSSV )- Mab - 信封 - 本地化 - 中立化 CLC 数字 S945.

Production of a polyclonal antibody to the VP26 nucleocapsid protein of white spot syndrome virus （wssv） and its use as a biosensor

White spot syndrome virus （WSSV） is a major cause of high mortality in cultured shrimp all over the world. VP26 is one of the structural proteins of WSSV that is assumed to assist in recognizing its host and assists the viral nucleocapsid to move toward the nucleus of the host cell. The objective of this work was to produce a polyclonal antibody against VP26 and use it as a biosensor. The recombinant VP26 protein （rVP26） was produced in E. coli （BL21）, purified and used for immunizing rabbits to obtain a polyclonal antibody. Western blot analysis confirmed that the antiserum had a specific immunoreac- tivity to the VP26 of WSSV. This VP26 antiserum was immobilized onto a gold electrode for use as the sensing surface to detect WSSV under a flow injection system. The impedance change in the presence of VP26 was monitored in real time. The sensitivity linear range of 160 160000 of the biosensor was in the copies of WSSV, indicating that it is good and sensitive for analysis of WSSV. The specificity of the biosensor was supported by the observation that no impedance change was detected even at high concentrations when using Yellow Head Virus （YHV）. This biosensor may be applied to monitor the amount of WSSV in water during shrimp cultivation.

Advances in the study of tegument protein VP26 in white spot syndrome virus

White spot syndrome virus(WSSV)has become one of the most widespread causes of mortality in commercial shrimp farming due to its broad host range,rapid spread and high lethality.The tegument protein VP26,which is loosely connected to nucleocapsid and envelope,is one of the major proteins of WSSV and has an important role in the initial stages of viral infection.Recent research has emphasized the vp26 gene,the structure of the VP26 protein,and VP26 binding proteins.Such knowledge is required to develop VP26 immune adjuvant to control WSSV.This paper reviews the related research of VP26 to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of WSSV.

Prevalence of Three Shrimp Viruses in Zhejiang Province in 2008

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV),Taura syndrome virus (TSV) and Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) are three shrimp viruses responsible for major pandemics affecting the shrimp farming industry. Shrimps samples were collected from 12 farms in Zhejiang province,China,in 2008 and analyzed by PCR to determine the prevalence of these viruses. From the 12 sampling locations,8 farms were positive for WSSV,8 for IHHNV and 6 for both WSSV and IHHNV. An average percentage of 57.4% of shrimp individuals were infected with WSSV,while 49.2% were infected with IHHNV. A high prevalence of co-infection with WSSV and IHHNV among samples was detected from the following samples:Bingjiang (93.3%),liuao (66.7%),Jianshan (46.7%) and Xianxiang (46.7%). No samples exhibited evidence of infection with TSV in collected samples. This study provides comprehensive information of the prevalence of three shrimp viruses in Zhejiang and may be helpful for disease prevention control in this region.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a threonine/serine protein kinase lvakt from Litopenaeus vannamei

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-AKT pathway is involved in various cellular functions, including anti-apoptosis, protein synthesis, glucose metabolism and cell cycling. However, the role of the PI3K-AKT pathway in crustaceans remains unclear. In the present study, we cloned and characterized the AKT gene lvakt from Litopenaeus vannamei. The 511-residue LVAKT was highly conserved; contained a PH domain, a catalytic domain and a hydrophobic domain; and was highly expressed in the heart and gills of L. vannamei. We found, using Real-Time Quantitative PCR(Q-PCR) analysis, that lvakt was upregulated during early white spot syndrome virus(WSSV) infection. Moreover, the PI3K-specific inhibitor, LY294002, reduced viral gene transcription, implying that the PI3K-AKT pathway might be hijacked by WSSV. Our results therefore suggest that LVAKT may play an important role in the shrimp immune response against WSSV.

Development of Lateral-flow Immunoassay for WSSV with Polyclonal Antibodies Raised against Recombinant VP (19+28) Fusion Protein

我们为 WSSV 开发了敏感、快速的侧面流动的免疫分析(LFIA ) ，用象指示物的胶体的黄金。熔化蛋白质， VP (19+28 ) ，在 E 被表示。coli，净化并且过去常准备 polyclonal 抗体。净化的 anti-VP (19+28 ) IgG 与胶体的黄金被结合。Unconjugated anti-VP (19+28 ) IgG 和山羊反兔子 IgG 在硝化纤维素膜上被使不能调动。在汇编以后，虾样品的三个组(在每个组的 5 个单个动物) 被测试它包括了健康、垂死、死了的虾。为每个组，三不同纸巾(身体蜜汁，鳃和 hepatopancreas ) 同时被测试。在平行，所有样品也为比较用 PCR 被分析。从测试的 45 件样品，当 15 作为否定被分类时， 30 作为积极被检测。LFIA 的结果相关，那些由 PCR 分析获得了，显示这二个察觉方法有在在这初步的研究测试的样品的有限数字的一样的功效。关键词侧面流动的免疫分析 - 白点症候群病毒(WSSV )- VP19 - VP28 CLC 数字 S945.

Molecular characteristics of three thymosin-repeat proteins from Marsupenaeus japonicus and their responses to WSSV infection

β-thymosins, a family of highly conserved peptides, play a vital role in wound-healing, angiogenesis,antimicrobial process and antiviral immunity. Three novel β-thymosin-repeat proteins, named mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2, were cloned from Marsupenaeus japonicus using expressed sequence tags（EST） from suppression subtractive hybridization. The mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2 c DNAs possessed open reading frames that encoded166, 128 and 90 amino acid residue polypeptides and contained four, three and two β-thymosin actin binding modules, respectively. Blast analysis demonstrated that mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2 shared high homology with known invertebrate multi-repeat β-thymosins. These proteins are ubiquitously expressed in all of the examined tissues, and the transcriptional levels were highest in the intestine. Further investigation revealed that mjthm4,mjthm3 and mjthm2 were remarkably up-regulated 6 h after WSSV infection. Moreover, while mjthm4 transcriptional levels displayed no changes, mjthm3 and mjthm2 levels decreased in the virus-resistant shrimps.The results indicate that mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2 are novel multi-repeat β-thymosin homologues, have a close relationship with WSSV infection, and might contribute to a better understanding of host defense and/or virus invasion interactions in shrimps.

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of a novel dual-CRD C-type lectin in kuruma shrimp(Marsupenaeus japonicus)

C-type lectins are among the most significant pattern recognition receptors（PRRs） found in invertebrate. They are a class of carbohydrate-binding proteins that can recognize specific sugar moieties on the surface of pathogens. In the present study, a novel C-type lecitn（termed Mj Lectin） from kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus was identified. The full-length c DNA of Mj Lectin was 1 245 bp with a 1 011 bp open reading frame（ORF） that encoded a polypeptide of 336 amino acid residues. Mj Lectin consisted of two tandemly arrayed carbohydrate-recognition domains（CRDs）, unlike other reported M. japonicus C-type lectins with only one CRD. It showed a high similarity to other shrimp dual-CRD lectins. Among the Ca2＋-binding Site 2, the tripeptide motif dictating the carbohydrate binding specificity was exhibited as a rare mutant LPN（Leu134-Pro135-Asn136） in CRD1 and a traditional EPN（Glu299-Pro300-Asn301） in CRD2, respectively. Mj Lectin showed a specific expression pattern in both tissue and cellular levels, for its m RNA transcript was mainly expressed in the F-cells of the hepatopancreas. After white spot syndrome virus（WSSV） challenge（3.6×108 virions/μL）, the expression of Mj Lectin in the hepatopancreas was up-regulated significantly at 48 h（P〈0.01） compared with the control group. These results suggested that Mj Lectin might be involved in the innate immune defense against WSSV infection.

Shrimp arginine kinase being a binding protein of WSSV envelope protein VP31

Viral entry into the host is the earliest stage of infection in the viral life cycle in which attachment proteins play a key role. VP31(WSV340/WSSV396), an envelope protein of white spot syndrome virus(WSSV), contains an Arg-Gly-Asp(RGD) peptide domain known as a cellular attachment site. At present, the process of VP31 interacting with shrimp host cells has not been explored. Therefore, the VP31 gene was cloned into p ET30a(+), expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 and purifi ed with immobilized metal ion affi nity chromatography. Four gill cellular proteins of shrimp( Fenneropenaeus c hinensis) were pulled down by an affi nity column coupled with recombinant VP31(r VP31), and the amino acid sequences were identifi ed with MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Hemocyanin, beta-actin, arginine kinase(AK), and an unknown protein were suggested as the putative VP31 receptor proteins. SDS-PAGE showed that AK is the predominant binding protein of VP31. An i n vitro binding activity experiment indicated that recombinant AK's(r AK) binding activity with r VP31 is comparable to that with the same amount of WSSV. These results suggested that AK, as a member of the phosphagen kinase family, plays a role in WSSV infection. This is the fi rst evidence showing that AK is a binding protein of VP31. Further studies on this topic will elucidate WSSV infection mechanism in the future.

Verification of Drainage Sterilization System Uses Low-Voltage Pulsed Electric Field in a Prawn Farm

It is necessary to take measures against infectious diseases in the Southeast Asian prawn farming industry. In giant tiger prawn （Penaeus monodon） aquaculture, diseases caused by viruses such as white spot syndrome virus （WSSV） and bacteria such as Vibrio have become a menace. Appropriate treatments of prawn culture pond＇s waters are advocated for preventing and controlling pathogens. The purpose of this study was to conduct an antimicrobial water treatment using a low-voltage pulsed electric field sterilization. Here we prepared a mechanical low-voltage pulsed electric field system with copper wire coiling around a titanium ring. The viability of WSSV in seawater was examined by prawn infectivity experiments. We inoculated healthy prawns （approximately 10-15 g） with the WSSV master sample that passed 0-3 times through the system. WSSV infection in prawns decreased according to the number of passes through the system. Healthy prawns survived for〉 10 days without feeding, where as prawns inoculated with the WSSV master sample showed symptoms of white spot and died in about 4 days. Two-thirds of the prawns inoculated with the WSSV master sample that was passed once through the system developed WSSV symptoms and were polymerase chain reaction （PCR） positive. However, no symptoms were observed and prawns were PCR negative when the WSSV master sample was passed three times through the system. Based on these results, we purpose that a low-voltage pulsed electric field system will serve as an efficient pond drainage sterilization system and will replace conventional treatments using chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite.