Study on Streptococcus agalactiae infection in Javanese medaka (Oryzias javanicus Bleeker, 1854) model

Benefits of nanotechnology: Dietary supplementation with nerolidol-loaded nanospheres increases survival rates, reduces bacterial loads and prevents oxidative damage in brains of Nile tilapia experimentally infected by Streptococcus agalactiae

Rampant and uncontrolled use of antibiotics is a major concern for aquaculture; the practice foments the emergence of resistant strains of Streptococcus agalactiae, among other negative impacts. Constituents of plant essential oils such as nerolidol are being considered as replacements for synthetic drugs to support fish nutrition and health. There is evidence to suggest that nanotechnology may enhance the efficacy of natural bioactive compounds; this is a substantial advance for the development and sustainability of aquaculture. Against the backdrop of this evidence, we aimed determine whether dietary supplementation with free nerolidol and nerolidol-loaded nanospheres would exert bactericidal effects against S. agalactiae, as well as prevent S. agalactiae-induced brain oxidative damage. In Experiment I, we measured the antimicrobial properties of dietary supplementation of nerolidol and nerolidol nanosphere in terms of mortality, longevity and relative percent survival. Fish infected with S. agalactiae fed 0.5 and 1.0 mL nerolidol nanospheres kg/diet demonstrated lower mortality and higher relative percent survival than the control group, while longevity was higher in all infected plus supplementation groups. Experiment II showed significantly lower microbial loads in brains of fish infected with S. agalactiae that were fed 1.0 mL nerolidol nanospheres kg/diet than in the control group. Brain nerolidol levels were significantly higher in uninfected as well as infected fish supplemented with nerolidol nanospheres than in fish supplemented with free nerolidol. Finally, brain reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation levels were higher in infected fish supplemented with basal diet compared to uninfected fish and supplemented with basal diet, and the supplementation with 1.0 mL/kg nerolidol nanospheres prevented this augmentation caused by infection. These data suggest that dietary supplementation with nerolidol nanospheres (1.0 mL/kg diet) has potent bactericidal effects in terms of augmentation of fish longevity and survival, and reduction of brain microbial loads. Also, S. agalactiae-induced brain oxidative damage that contributed to disease pathogenesis, and the dietary supplementation with nerolidol nanospheres (1.0 mL/kg diet) prevented this alteration. In summary, nanotechnology is a compelling approach to enhancing the efficacy of nerolidol, giving rise to reduction of S. agalactiae loads in fish brains.

Transcriptomic characterization of adult zebrafish infected with Streptococcus agalactiae

Streptococcus agalactiae is a major aquaculture pathogen infecting various saltwater and freshwater fish. To better understand the mechanism of the immune responses to S. agalactiae in wildtype zebrafish, the transcriptomic profiles of two organs containing mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues from S. agalactiae-infected and non-infected groups were obtained using RNA-seq techniques. In the intestines, 6735 and 12908 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at 24 hpi and 48 hpi, respectively. Among 66 and 116 significantly enriched pathways, 15 and 21 pathways were involved in immune system or signal transduction at 24 hpi and 48 hpi, respectively. A number of genes involved in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway, Antigen processing and presentation, NF-kappa B signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway were significantly downregulated. In the skins, 3113 and 4467 DEGs were identified at 24 hpi and 48 hpi, respectively. Among 24 and 56 significantly enriched pathways, 4 and 13 pathways were involved in immune system or signal transduction at 24 hpi and 48 hpi, respectively. More immune-related signaling pathways including Leukocyte transendothelial migration, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, Complement and coagulation cascades, Hematopoietic cell lineage and Jak-STAT signaling pathway were differently enriched for upregulated DEGs at 48 hpi, which were completely different from that in the intestines. Furthmore, comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the downregulated 1618 genes and upregulated 1622 genes existed both at 24 hpi and 48 hpi for the intestine samples. In the skins, the downregulated 672 genes and upregulated 428 genes existed both at 24 hpi and 48 hpi. Three pathways related to immune processes were significantly enriched for downregulated DEGs both in the intestines and skins collected at 24 hpi and 48 hpi, which included Antigen processing and presentation, Intestinal immune network for IgA production and Hematopoietic cell lineage. Interaction network analysis of DEGs identified the main DEGs in the sub-network of complement and coagulation cascades both in the intestines and skins. Twenty of DEGs involved in complement and coagulation cascades were further validated by Real-time quantitative PCR. Altogether, the results obtained in this study will provide insight into the immune response of zebrafish against S. agalactiae XQ-1 infection in fatal conditions, and reveal the discrepant expression pattern of complement and coagulation cascades in the intestines and skins.