Isolation and characterization of virulent yellowtail ascites virus.
Yellowtail ascites virus (YTAV) is the causative agent of ascites and deformity in fish and causes serious losses to the fish-farming industry of yellowtail fry and fingerling Seriola quinqueradiata in Japan. In 2006, cultured yellowtail died from ascites in Kochi, Japan. We isolated and characterized a virus from the diseased fish. Based on the pathogenicity, culture characteristics, morphological features, RT-PCR results targeting VP2/NS region, phylogeny based on the VP1 amino acid sequence, and immunochemical reactivity of structural proteins, the virus isolate was identified as YTAV (designated as YTAV-06). YTAV-06 was a more virulent isolate than YTAV Y-6, isolated originally from yellowtail with ascites. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing that YTAV isolates may vary in their virulence.
Hirayama
Takeshi
T
Laboratory of Cell Structure and Function, Division of Marine Bioresource Science, Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan.
Nagano
Ichiro
I
Shinmoto
Hajime
H
Yagyu
Ken-Ichi
K
Oshima
Syun-Ichirou
S
D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D018059:Birnaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000821:virology; D005399:Fishes; D010802:Phylogeny; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*