• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.369-378
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• 2018

We determined the morphologic characteristics (body weight and degree of abdomen inflation) of the red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara, mother fish producing healthy eggs. Experimental fish were chosen from fish reared in a sea cage. The fish were divided into four size groups by body weight: 400~600, 600~800, 800~1,000, and 1,000~1,200 g and four stages (I~IV) of the degree of abdomen inflation. After hormone treatment, we observed the amount of ovulation-induced eggs, and rates of buoyancy, fertilization, embryonic survival, and hatching. As a result, mother fish with a body weight of 600 g or more spawned, and the fertilization rate, embryonic survival rate, and hatching rate were high in the 800~1,000 g range, thus showing effective ovulation induction. As a result of dividing the degree of abdomen inflation based on the anal fin of the mother fish into I-IV stages and determining hormone treatment time, the GSI was $0.9{\pm}0.2%$ at stage I, $2.3{\pm}0.2%$ at stage II, $5.6{\pm0.2%$ at stage III, and $7.9{\pm}0.9%$ at stage IV. The flotation rate and hatching rate were highest at stage III, and the fertilization rate and embryonic survival rate were highest at stage IV. Therefore, in terms of egg quality, the amount of eggs collected per mother fish, maturation, and histology were different depending on the degree of abdomen inflation. At stage III, where the abdomen inflation degree of the mother fish was based on the basal part of the dorsal fin relative to the height of the anal fin was 1, the egg quality was highest.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.33.1-33.17
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• 2022

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) is a deadly infectious disease that affects several fish species. It has been found that the NNV utilizes grouper heat shock cognate protein 70 (GHSC70) to enter the host cell. Thus, blocking the virus entry by targeting the responsible protein can protect the fishes from disease. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the inhibitory potentiality of 70 compounds of Azadirachta indica (Neem plant) which has been reported to show potential antiviral activity against various pathogens, but activity against the NNV has not yet been reported. The binding affinity of 70 compounds was calculated against the GHSC70 with the docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approaches. Both the docking and MD methods predict 4 (PubChem CID: 14492795, 10134, 5280863, and 11119228) inhibitory compounds that bind strongly with the GHSC70 protein with a binding affinity of -9.7, -9.5, -9.1, and -9.0 kcal/mol, respectively. Also, the ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) properties of the compounds confirmed the drug-likeness properties. As a result of the investigation, it may be inferred that Neem plant compounds may act as significant inhibitors of viral entry into the host cell. More in-vitro testing is needed to establish their effectiveness.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 2017

In 2015, a nervous necrosis virus (NNV) was isolated from sevenband grouper, Epinephelus septemfasciatus, maintained in land-based aquaculture system at below $12^{\circ}C$ in winter. Mortality was up to 30% in brood fish, over 4 kg of body weight. Moribund fish showed clinical sings typical of viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER), also called viral nervous necrosis (VNN), such as uncoordinated, corkscrew-like swimming behavior, belly-up at rest, darkening of body, cloudy eyeball and hyperinflation of the swim bladder. Aetiology of the disease was confirmed by gross observation of clinical signs, histopathology and molecular diagnosis. Histological studies revealed severe vacuolation and necrosis in the brain. Molecular diagnosis by revere transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) specific to batanodavirus yielded a positive result. The nucleotide sequences of the PCR-amplified fragment were 99.48~100% similar to barfin flounder nervous necrosis virus (BFNNV) genotype and most closely aligned with Pacific cod betanodavirus (PCNNV). This is the first report of natural batanodavirus, NNV infection in sevenband grouper reared in low water temperature during winter (below $12^{\circ}C$) in Korea.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2008

To induce of maturation and ovulation, ovary with different development stage of oocytes of sevenband grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus(n=51, TL $69.1{\pm}1.0$ cm, BW $5.8{\pm}0.3$ kg) rearing indoor-tank in mature and spawning season(June to July) were investigated by cannulation. Female with yolk globule stage oocyte($300{\sim}500{\mu}m$) was injected with human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG, 500 IU/kg BW). Oocytes developed at diameter $300{\sim}700{\mu}m$ in 24 hrs after the HCG injection, and the distribution ratio of over $800{\mu}m$ of oocytes diameter in the cannulated eggs were $91.3{\sim}98.8%(95.1{\pm}3.7%)$ in 48 hrs after the HCG injection. Ovulation was induced from 7 out of 8 female after the HCG injection. The total volume of stripped eggs was 2,480 mL, and the volume of buoyant eggs was 1,360 mL. The fertilization and hatching rates of buoyant eggs were $56.2{\sim}94.9%$ and $70.7{\sim}97.9%$, respectively. These results suggested that HCG 500 IU/kg BW effects on maturation and ovulation of female sevenband grouper with yolk globule stage of oocyte.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2012

Kisspeptin has been reported to facilitate sexual maturation and ovulation by directly stimulating GnRH neurons via its receptor, GPR54. The KiSS-GPR54 system is playing an important role in the reproduction of several mammalian species. However, little is known about their function in fish. The aim of this study is to understand the physiological function and evolutionary conservation of KiSS-GPR54 system in teleost fish blacktip grouper, Epinephelus fasciatus. In the present study, we have partial cloned KiSS1, KiSS2 GPR54 mRNAs from a brain samples. Tissue distribution analysis using RT-PCR revealed that the KiSS1, KiSS2, GPR54 transcripts were expressed in different tissue. The KiSS-GPR54 system in gonadal of immature and mature stage were analyzed using qRT-PCR. The partial sequence of KiSS1, KiSS2, GPR54 were 232 bp, 304 bp, 613 bp long, respectively. KiSS1, KiSS2, GPR54 mRNAs are shown common expression in the brain. The amount of KiSS1, KiSS2 mRNAs expression were significantly higher in mature stage than immature stage. However GPR54 mRNA expression was higher in immature stage. These results are in good agreement with the hypothesis that KiSS-GPR54 system plays an important role in the regulation of reproductive function in the blacktip grouper.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2016

Histological and morphological development of the digestive tract of sevenband grouper were observed from after hatching to 60 days. Fishes were fed with rotifer (Brachionus rotundiformis) and chlorella (Chlorella ellipsoidea) after hatching from 2 to 20 days rotifer and brine shrimp (Artemia salina) in after 20 days rotifer, brine shrimp and semi-dry artificial diet in after 23 days. Histological and morphological development of ten larvae was observed by paraffin embedding method after fixing in 10% neutral buffered formalin. Sevenband grouper RLG showed characteristics of carnivorous fish by average 0.87. Larvae after hatching can't open the mouth and anus digestive tract was observed in a straight line following yolk sac. Larvae was observed feeding activity by opening the mouth and anus. Metamorphosis started 8 days after hatching. Esophagus divided four layer, and goblet cell was observed in esophagus, mid intestine and rectum. Larvae started cannibalism and it was caused by difference of growth. The inside of stomach was differentiated to cardiac orifice, body of stomach, pyloric stomach, and pyloric caeca. Goblet cell was observed all intestine. Gastric gland differentiated after hatching 28 days in stomach. Secretion of gastric juice was found at stomach and mucosal fold pyloric caeca. Even thought the inside of stomach expended and the number of gastric gland increased consistently and goblet cell in intestine and mucosa became longer, histochemical changes follow couldn't be found during transforming juveniles 38 days after hatching.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the physiological responses of sevenband grouper, Epinephelus septemfasciatus at low temperature condition in winter season. Water temperature was dropped from $12^{\circ}C$ to $5^{\circ}C$ by two different interval (interval I: $-1^{\circ}C/24h$ and interval II: $-1^{\circ}C/8h$). The experimental fishes were exposed for 9 days at each water temperature condition, and were observed survival rate. The blood sample was collected from fishes for analysis of cortisol, glucose, total protein (TP), and electrolytes ($Na^+$, $Cl^-$, $K^+$). Mortality of fish was not observed until $5^{\circ}C$. The mortality (12 individuals) began after 170 h and all fish were death after 174 h in interval I case, whereas the mortality (9 individuals) began after 72 h and all fish were death after 76 h in interval II case. Little different was observed in the physiological responses, but trend was similar between two intervals. The physiological metabolism of plasma cortisol and glucose were increased rapidly, and swimming ability and respiration response was faster at $7^{\circ}C$. This result means that the critical temperature of sevenband grouper was $7^{\circ}C$ at low water temperature condition.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2012

To verify the sex steroids which are involved in oocyte maturation of the blacktip grouper, $Epinephelus$ $fasciatus$, we incubated vitellogenic oocytes (0.41 and 0.50 mm in average diameter) in the presence of exogenous steroid precursor ($[^3H]17{\alpha}$-hydroxyprogesterone). Steroids were extracted, separated and identified by thin layer chromatography. The major metabolites produced were androstenedione, estradiol-$17{\beta}$, estrone and progestogens. Progestogen metabolites in the oocytes of 0.50 mm were more abundant than those of 0.41 mm. Also, we investigated the $in$ $vitro$ effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG; 5, 50 and 500 $IU/m{\ell}$), $17{\alpha},20{\beta}$-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one ($17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$) and $17{\alpha},20{\beta}$-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one ($17{\alpha}20{\beta}21P$; 5, 50 and 500 $ng/m{\ell}$, respectively) on oocyte maturation. In the oocytes of 0.41 mm, treatment with 50 IU HCG stimulated GVBD ($55.30{\pm}1.20%$) compared with controls ($32.41{\pm}3.13%$, $p$<0.05). In the oocytes of 0.50 mm, treatment of $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ (50 and 500 $ng/m{\ell}$) stimulated GVBD ($50.13{\pm}2.52$ and $51.77{\pm}5.91%$, respectively) compared with controls ($36.81{\pm}2.89%$, $p$<0.05). Treatment with 500 IU HCG also stimulated GVBD ($49.59{\pm}5.15%$) compared with controls ($p$<0.05). Taken together, these results suggested that both HCG and $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ were effective on in vitro oocyte maturation and $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ may act as a maturation inducing hormone in blacktip grouper.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.565-572
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• 1998

Survival rate of larval red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara is very low, because mouth size of the larvae is too small to eat normal sizes of rotifers. In order to enhance larval survival, optimal culture conditions for larvae using different live foods and water temperatures were studied. Bigger live food produced larger size of rotifer, when the rotifer was cultured with three different live foods such as Tetraselmis tetrathele, marine Chlorella and Nannochloris oculata. Also, the size of rotifer produced was temperature-dependent showing that higher water temperature induced smaller rotifer. Survial rate of the larvae increased with the increase of water temperature up to $29{\circ}C$. Also, higher larval survials were found at the food density of 15 to 20 individuals per milliliter. The larvae fed L-type or small individuals of L-type rotifer died all within a week, although the larvae fed S-type or small individuals of S-type one survived successfully during this period. The size of small individuals of S-type rotifer collected through fine net became larger in a few hours within larval culture tank. Survival rate of grouper larvae with initial stocking density of 40 thousands in 6-ton concrete tank was 6.3% in 10 days and 0.2% in 53 days after hatching, respectively. Total length of the larvae reached around 29.5 mm in 53days after hatching.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

We investigated the effects of fadrozol, an aromatase inhibitor (AI), and $17{\alpha}$-methyltestosterone (MT) on the induction of sex change in juvenile longtooth grouper $Epinephelus$ $bruneus$, via histological observation of gonads. Changes in the mRNA expression of GtH subunits (FSH-${\beta}$ and LH-${\beta}$) in the pituitary, and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels in the blood were also surveyed after AI and MT treatment. Juvenile longtooth groupers ($113{\pm}17g\;body\;weight$; $16.2{\pm}1.2cm\;body\;length$) received intramuscular injections of AI at 3 (3-AI) and 5 (5-AI) mg/kg BWdoses and MT at a 5 mg/kg BW (5-MT) dose. At week 7 post-injection, 3-AI and 5-MT oocytes were degenerated, and gonads of the 5-AI group initiated spermatogenesis. At week 21 post-injection, 3-AI- and 5-MT-treated gonads contained spermatogonia and spermatocytes, while 5-AI treatment induced advanced stages of spermatogenesis. The serum E2 level showed no significant differences throughout the experimental period, whereas that of 11-KT was significantly elevated in the 5-AI group at weeks 7 and 21 post-injection. A significant increase in the expression of FSH-${\beta}$ mRNA was evident in the 5-AI group at week 21 post-injection. In contrast, LH-${\beta}$ mRNA expression did not significantly differ among groups during the experimental period. These results imply that sex change has two stages in the longtooth grouper. In the first stage, oocytes are degenerated by the stimulation by 11-KT, and in the second stage spermatogenesis occurs, owing to the co-effects of 11-KT and FSH-${\beta}$.