• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.213-216
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• 2004

To confirm the possibility of a wild marine crab, Gaetice depressus, as a carrier for white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and to develop an alternative experimental model for WSSV in winter season, the susceptibility of the crab to WSSV was assessed by artificial challenge and subsequently tested for infection by PCR assay. The results revealed that the crabs were as highly susceptible as penaeid shrimps. WSSV caused 100% mortality in G. depressus within 16 days after intramuscular injection. The presence of WSSV in the moribund crabs was confirmed by PCR and was found in gills and muscle tissue. These results suggest that G. depressus can be naturally infected by WSSV via moribund shrimps, and can act as a potential carrier of WSSV. In addition, G. depressus can be used as an alternative experimental animal for WSSV.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2014

The resistance against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in wild marine crab Gaetice depressus by the immunization of a recombinant glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fused VP28 protein (GST-VP28) was evaluated. The cumulative mortalities of GST-VP28 injected groups were lower than those of the control groups at 10 days of post-challenge, and the time to death of 50% crab ($TD_{50}$) was delayed by the immunization using GST-VP28. The group boosted with GST-VP28 after 2 weeks of primary immunization clearly showed longer $TD_{50}$ than non-boosted group against challenge with WSSV. This result suggests that boosting with the antigen protein elicit stronger immune responses similar to adaptive immune responses of vertebrates. However, the short $TD_{50}$ was observed in the group challenged at 3 weeks post boosting comparing to the group challenged at 1 week post boosting. This suggests that the protective strength of immunization decreased by the time.