Seasonal Prevalence of Skin Tumors From Walleye (Stizostedion Vitreum) From Oneida Lake, New York

Bowser, Paul R.; Wolfe, Marilyn J.; Forney, John L.; Wooster, Gregory A.

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-24.2.292

Cited by 80 publications

(69 citation statements)

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“…The enzyme is rapidly inactivated at temperatures greater than 15 SC. The ratio of RT activity at 15 SC to that at 4 SC is similar for WDSV and recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1, suggesting that, at least with this template, the fish enzyme is not specially adapted to function more efficiently in the cold.Walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV) is a piscine retrovirus associated with skin tumours in walleyes (Bowser et al, 1988). WDSV is the prototype of the Epsilonretrovirus genus, which includes the closely related walleye epidermal hyperplasia viruses types 1 and 2 (WEHV-1 and -2) (Holzschu et al, 1995 ; LaPierre et al, 1999 ;van Regenmortel et al, 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Walleye dermal sarcoma virus reverse transcriptase is temperature sensitive

Fodor

Vogt

2002

Journal of General Virology

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Walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV) is a piscine retrovirus that replicates naturally in fish at temperatures near 4 SC. The reverse transcriptase (RT) protein from virus particles isolated from walleye tumours was purified and biochemically characterized. Like the RT of the distantly related murine leukaemia virus, WDSV RT sediments as a monomer in the absence of template. It exhibits a K m of 22 µM for TTP in an assay with poly(rA) as a template and oligo(dT) as a primer. The enzyme is rapidly inactivated at temperatures greater than 15 SC. The ratio of RT activity at 15 SC to that at 4 SC is similar for WDSV and recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1, suggesting that, at least with this template, the fish enzyme is not specially adapted to function more efficiently in the cold.Walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV) is a piscine retrovirus associated with skin tumours in walleyes (Bowser et al., 1988). WDSV is the prototype of the Epsilonretrovirus genus, which includes the closely related walleye epidermal hyperplasia viruses types 1 and 2 (WEHV-1 and -2) (Holzschu et al., 1995 ; LaPierre et al., 1999 ;van Regenmortel et al., 2000). Based on sequence similarity in the reverse transcriptase (RT) gene, the walleye viruses are most closely related to the mammalian C-type viruses or gammaretroviruses (van Regenmortel et al., 2000). WDSV and murine leukaemia virus (MuLV) share 45 % sequence identity within the polymerase domain of RT. In addition, these viruses are similar in that they both utilize termination suppression as the mechanism for production of the Gag-Pol polyprotein and both have only a single Cys-His motif in the non-coding domain of Gag. However, MuLV and the other members of this genus are simple retroviruses, while WDSV is a complex retrovirus, exhibiting differential mRNA splicing and containing three open reading frames (ORFs) in addition to gag, pol and env. One of these ORFs encodes a cyclin D homologue believed to be responsible for the oncogenic potential of the virus (Holzschu et al., 1995 ; Lairmore et al., 2000 ; LaPierre et al., 1998 ;Quackenbush et al., 1997).The walleye, the host species for WDSV, is a poikilotherm and its body temperature depends on the temperature of the environment. WDSV-induced tumours exhibit seasonality : tumours develop on the fish in the fall, persist through the winter and subsequently regress and fall off in the spring. The fall tumours do not contain infectious virus, and viral genomic RNA and proteins are not detectable, although subgenomic RNA is present. In contrast, spring tumours contain large quantities of virus (Martineau et al., 1992). Infection of walleyes is believed to take place during the spring spawning season when the fish are in close contact, at which time the water temperature is approximately 4 mC. For infection to occur at this time, RT, a DNA polymerase that reverse transcribes the viral RNA genome to yield a double-stranded DNA copy, must be able to synthesize proviral DNA at low temperatures. The goal of the present study was ...

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confidence: 99%

“…Walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV) is a piscine retrovirus associated with skin tumours in walleyes (Bowser et al, 1988). WDSV is the prototype of the Epsilonretrovirus genus, which includes the closely related walleye epidermal hyperplasia viruses types 1 and 2 (WEHV-1 and -2) (Holzschu et al, 1995 ; LaPierre et al, 1999 ;van Regenmortel et al, 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

Walleye dermal sarcoma virus reverse transcriptase is temperature sensitive

Fodor

Vogt

2002

Journal of General Virology

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“…The lesions regress in the late spring to summer. 7,8,26 In the Great Lakes Basin, prevalence estimates in the spring range between 20% and 30% and are highest in young adults. There is evidence that a walleye found to be tumor positive during any given year will not develop walleye dermal sarcoma in the subsequent year, suggesting that tumor resolution results in lifelong resistance to the disease.…”

Section: Walleye Dermal Sarcomamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lesions typically regress by late summer. 7,28 The disease is termed walleye discrete epidermal hyperplasia to differentiate it from walleye diffuse epidermal hyperplasia, the latter being characterized by epidermal plaques with indistinct borders. A herpesvirus has been isolated from walleye diffuse epidermal hyperplasia.…”

Section: Walleye Dermal Sarcomamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathology of Tumors in Fish Associated With Retroviruses

2013

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Thirteen proliferative diseases in fish have been associated in the literature with 1 or more retroviruses. Typically, these occur as seasonal epizootics affecting farmed and wild fish, and most lesions resolve spontaneously. Spontaneous resolution and lifelong resistance to reinfection are 2 features of some piscine retrovirus-induced tumors that have stimulated research interest in this field. The purpose of this review is to present the reader with the epidemiological and morphological features of proliferative diseases in fish that have been associated with retroviruses by 1 or more of the following methods: detection of C-type retroviruslike particles or reverse transcriptase activity in tumor tissues; successful tumor transmission trials using well-characterized, tumor-derived, cell-free inocula; or molecular characterization of the virus from spontaneous and experimentally induced tumors. Two of the diseases included in this review, European smelt spawning papillomatosis and bicolor damselfish neurofibromatosis, at one time were attributed to a retroviral etiology, but both are now believed to involve additional viral agents based on more recent investigations. We include the latter 2 entities to update the reader about these developments. Keywords fishes, piscine, neoplasms, Retroviridae, tumor virus infections, oncogenic virusesMembers of several virus families have been implicated in the etiology of tumors in fish. The literature contains numerous publications in which members of virus families Herpesviridae, Papillomaviridae, and Retroviridae are associated with the development of tumors in fish. In this report, we review the epidemiological, gross, microscopic, and ultrastructural features of 13 piscine tumors reported in the literature for which there is evidence of a retroviral involvement. In some instances, the evidence supporting a retroviral association is compelling and includes viral sequencing and successful transmission trials using a well-characterized inoculum. In other instances, a retroviral association is based on detection of retrovirus-like particles or reverse transcriptase activity in tissues from proliferative lesions. These viruses have been the subject of several reviews. 4,48,49 For this review, we have accessed archival materials primarily from the archived Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals as well as cases from the Aquatic Animal Health Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University.Before evaluating a lesion, any case of a fish tumor must be considered in light of the fish as an ectotherm. Much of the biology of fish is affected by water temperature and seasonality of various physiological processes. It is well known that the immune response in fish is modified by changes in water temperature and other physiological stressors, such as spawning activity. 39 A review of the case records of most fish disease diagnostic laboratories will show the largest number of neoplastic cases to occur in the spring, a time of changing water temperature and a tim...

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“…Similar growths are relatively common in walleye populations from various other locations (Lake Erie, Detroit River, Tittabwassi River, Lakes in western Canada, etc.). Studies have shown that these neoplasms in walleyes from Lake Oneida, New York, appear to have a retrovirus etiology on the basis of evident virus particles (25), seasonal regression patterns (26), which may be related to temperature effects upon high reverse transcriptase activity in dermal sarcoma tissue (P.R. Bowser, personal communication), and demonstrated transmission of the disease in juvenile walleyes by cell-free extracts (P.R.…”

Section: Fish Species Affected With Neoplasmsmentioning

confidence: 99%