The nucleotide sequence of the infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) genome was determined and found to comprise 111,362 bp with a G+C content of 54.78%. It contained 124 potential open reading frames (ORFs) with coding capacities ranging from 40 to 1208 amino acids. The analysis of the amino acid sequences deduced from the individual ORFs revealed that 35 of the 124 potential gene products of ISKNV show significant homology to functionally characterized proteins of other species. Some of the putative gene products of ISKNV showed significant homologies to proteins in the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ databases including enzymes and structural proteins involved in virus replication, transcription, protein modification, and virus-host interaction. In addition, one major repeated sequence showing significant homology to the Red Sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) genome was identified. Based on the information obtained from biological properties (including histopathology, tissue tropisms, natural host range, and geographic distribution), physiochemical and physical properties, and genome analysis, we suggest that ISKNV, RSIV, sea bass iridovirus, grouper iridovirus, and African lampeye iridovirus may belong to a new genus of the Iridoviridae family and are tentatively referred to as cell hypertrophy iridoviruses.

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Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus-like (ISKNV-like) virus causes a serious systemic disease with high morbidity and mortality of freshwater and marine fishes. Based on the ISKNV putative major capsid protein (MCP), the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the mRNA capping enzyme (Capping), and the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein (TNFR) genes, primers were designed and used in PCR to determine the host range of ISKNV-like viruses. From the sampling of >1600 marine fishes representing 6 orders, 25 families, and 86 species collected in the South China Sea, 13 cultured fish species (141 fish) and 39 wild fish species (102 fish) were confirmed hosts of ISKNV-like viruses. The average percentage of infection of ISKNV-like viruses was 14.6%. The results from phylogenetic analysis of these genes revealed that ISKNV-like viruses could be placed into two clusters: cluster I was more related to ISKNV; cluster II included OSGIV (orange-spotted grouper iridovirus) and RBIV (rock bream iridovirus), and was quite different from ISKNV. The results of this study can contribute to the prediction and prevention of ISKNV disease outbreaks.

C-type lectins play key roles in pathogen recognition, innate immunity, and cell-cell interactions. Here, we report a new C-type lectin (C-type lectin 1) from the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (LvCTL1), which has activity against the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). LvCTL1 is a 156-residue polypeptide containing a C-type carbohydrate recognition domain with an EPN (Glu 99 -Pro 100 -Asn 101 ) motif that has a predicted ligand binding specificity for mannose. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed that LvCTL1 mRNA was specifically expressed in the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei. Recombinant LvCTL1 (rLvCTL1) had hemagglutinating activity and ligand binding specificity for mannose and glucose. rLvCTL1 also had a strong affinity for WSSV and interacted with several envelope proteins of WSSV. Furthermore, we showed that the binding of rLvCTL1 to WSSV could protect shrimps from viral infection and prolong the survival of shrimps against WSSV infection. Our results suggest that LvCTL1 is a mannose-binding C-type lectin that binds to envelope proteins of WSSV to exert its antiviral activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a shrimp C-type lectin that has direct anti-WSSV activity.

Lysozyme acts as a non-specific innate-immunity molecule against the invasion of bacteria pathogens. A leukocyte cDNA library of orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides was constructed and the goose-type (g-type) lysozyme cDNA was isolated. The complete cDNA consists of an open reading frame of 585 bp encoding a protein of 194 amino acids. This protein shows a 72.2% amino acid sequence identity with the flounder g-type lysozyme. Similar to most other species, the glu catalytic residue in g-type lysozymes of the grouper is conserved. Furthermore, like the flounder and carp, the 4 conserved cysteine residues identified in avian and mammalian g-type lysozymes were also absent from the grouper. Northern blot analysis indicated that the g-type lysozyme was expressed in intestine, liver, spleen, anterior kidney, posterior kidney, heart, gill, muscle and leukocytes. In addition, RT-PCR analysis detected the g-type lysozyme transcripts in the stomach, brain and ovary. When an orange-spotted grouper was injected with Vibrio alginolyticus, the number of lysozyme mRNA transcripts detected in the stomach, spleen, anterior kidney, posterior kidney, heart, brain and leucocytes increased 72 h after injection. Recombinant grouper g-type lysozyme produced in the Escherichia coli expression system showed lytic activity against Micrococcus lysodeikticus, V. alginolyticus from Epinephelus fario, V. vulnificus from culture water, Aeromonas hydrophila from soft-shell turtle, A. hydrophila from goldfish and V. parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas fluorescens and V. fluvialis from culture water.

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