<i>Aeromonas veronii</i> Is a Lethal Pathogen Isolated from Gut of Infected <i>Labeo rohita</i>: Molecular Insight to Understand the Bacterial Virulence and Its Induced Host Immunity
Bijay Kumar Behera,
Satya Narayan Parida,
Vikash Kumar,
Himanshu Sekhar Swain,
Pranaya Kumar Parida,
Kampan Bisai,
Souvik Dhar,
Basanta Kumar Das
Affiliations
Bijay Kumar Behera
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
Satya Narayan Parida
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
Vikash Kumar
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
Himanshu Sekhar Swain
Aquaculture Production and Environment Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar 751002, Orissa, India
Pranaya Kumar Parida
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
Kampan Bisai
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
Souvik Dhar
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
Basanta Kumar Das
Aquatic Environmental Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Division, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India
A case of severe mortality in farmed Labeo rohita was investigated to characterize the causative agent. We identified the bacterial strain as Aeromonas veronii isolated from the gut of infected L. rohita by biochemical assay, scanning electron microscopy and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The in vivo challenge experiment showed that the LD50 of A. veronii was 2.2 × 104 CFU/fish. Virulence gene investigation revealed that the isolated A. veronii possesses Aerolysin, Cytotoxic enterotoxin, Serine protease, Dnase and Type III secretion system genes. The isolated strain was resistant to two antibiotics (ampicillin and dicloxacillin) while susceptible to 22 other antibiotics. The study further revealed that A. veronii induced both stresses along with non-specific and specific immune responses marked by elevated cortisol HSP70, HSP90 and IgM levels in the treated L. rohita fingerlings. Although the bacterial pathogen enhances the immune response, the negative effect on fish, including stress, and high mortality, create concern and a need for A. veronii management in L. rohita farms. The knowledge gained from this study would facilitate future research aimed at assessing the pathogenicity of A. veronii, with an emphasis on microbial disease management in other farmed fish species.
