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

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.149-154
• /
• 2017

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were produced by using viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV, genotype IVa) as an immunogen, isolated from diseased olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Four hybridoma clones secreting MAbs against VHSV were established. The MAbs were recognized the nucleoprotein (MAb 4), phosphoprotein (MAb 1) and matrix protein (MAbs 2 and 3) of VHSV by western blot analysis. Among them, the MAbs 1 and 4 strongly reacted with the VHSV-infected FHM cells, but not normal FHM cells. In enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, the four MAbs reacted with the VHSV, but not different six fish viruses (infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, hirame rhabdovirus, spring viraemia of carp virus, infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, marine birnavirus and nervous necrosis virus). These results indicate that the MAbs are useful for diagnosis of VHSV infection.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.402-409
• /
• 2020

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) contains a bi-segmented viral genome, RNA1 (3.4 kb, RdRp), and RNA2 (1.4 kb, capsid protein) in a small particle (25 nm). Despite its extremely compact size, NNV has caused serious damage by infecting approximately 120 fish species worldwide since it was first reported in the late 1980s. In order to minimize the damage caused by NNV infection and develop effective vaccines, it is necessary to understand the intra cellular signaling system according to NNV infection. NNV infection induces cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase via the p53-dependent pathway to use the cellular system for its replication. Otherwise, host cells recognize NNV infection through the RIG-1-like receptor (RLR) signaling pathway to control the virus and infected cells, and then ISGs required for antiviral action are activated via the IFN signaling pathway. Moreover, apoptosis of infected cells is triggered by the unfolded protein response (UPR) through ER stress and mitochondria-mediated cell death. Cell signaling studies on the NNV infection mechanisms are still at an early stage and many pathways have yet to be identified. Understanding the various disease-specific cellular signaling systems associated with NNV infection is essential for rapid and accurate diagnosis and vaccine development.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.12
• /
• pp.28.1-28.8
• /
• 2019

Background: In the present study, we evaluated four commonly used housekeeping genes, viz., actin-β, elongation factor-1α (EF1α), acidic ribosomal protein (ARP), and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as internal references for quantitative analysis of immune genes in nervous necrosis virus (NNV)-infected seven-band grouper, Hyporthodus septemfasciatus. Methods: Expression profiles of the four genes were estimated in 12 tissues of healthy and infected seven-band grouper. Expression stability of the genes was calculated using the delta Ct method, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and geNorm algorithms. Consensus ranking was performed using RefFinder, and statistical analysis was done using GraphpadPrism 5.0. Results: Tissue-specific variations were observed in the four tested housekeeping genes of healthy and NNV-infected seven-band grouper. Fold change calculation for interferon-1 and Mx expression using the four housekeeping genes as internal references presented varied profiles for each tissue. EF1α and actin-β was the most stable expressed gene in tissues of healthy and NNV-infected seven-band grouper, respectively. Consensus ranking using RefFinder suggested EF1α as the least variable and highly stable gene in the healthy and infected animals. Conclusions: These results suggest that EF1α can be a fairly better internal reference in comparison to other tested genes in this study during the NNV infection process. This forms the pilot study on the validation of reference genes in Hyporthodus septemfasciatus, in the context of NNV infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.7
• /
• pp.1021-1028
• /
• 2012

In this study, a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was developed for the rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive detection of nervous necrosis virus (NNV) in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, in Korea. A set of six specific primers was designed to target the RNA 2 gene encoding the coat protein of Korean NNV strains. The RT-LAMP reaction successfully detected NNV after 30 min at $65^{\circ}C$. When the sensitivities among RT-LAMP, RT-PCR, and nested RTPCR were compared, the RT-LAMP was shown to be able to detect the RNA template at $2.58{\times}10^{-2}\;TCID_{50}/ml$, whereas the RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR were only able to detect the RNA template at $2.58{\times}10^2\;TCID_{50}/ml$ and $2.58TCID_{50}/ml$, respectively. Thus, the sensitivity of the RT-LAMP assay was higher than those of the RT-PCR assays. In the specificity test of the RT-LAMP, 2 genotypes of NNVs (SJNNV and RGNNV) were positive; however, no other fish viruses were positive with the primers, indicating that the RT-LAMP assay is only specific to NNV. A total of 102 olive flounder were collected from hatcheries between 2009 and 2011. The occurrence of NNV in olive flounder was determined to be 53.9% (55/102) by the RT-LAMP. On the other hand, the prevalence based on the nested RT-PCR and RT-PCR results was 33.8% (34/102) and 20.6% (21/102), respectively. This result indicates that the RT-LAMP assay developed in this study is suitable for early field diagnosis of NNV with high sensitivity.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2024

The advantages of replicon vectors of RNA viruses include a high ability to stimulate innate immunity and exponential amplification of target mRNA leading to high expression of foreign antigens. The present study aimed to construct a DNA-layered nervous necrosis virus (NNV) replicon vector system in which the capsid protein gene was replaced with a foreign antigen gene and to compare the efficiency of foreign antigen expression between the conventional DNA vaccine vector and the present replicon vector. We presented the first report of a nodavirus DNA replicon-based foreign antigen expression system. Instead of a two-vector system, we devised a one-vector system containing both an NNV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase cassette and a foreign antigen-expressing cassette. This single-vector approach circumvents the issue of low foreign protein expression associated with the low co-transfection efficiency of a two-vector system. Cells transfected with a vector harboring hammerhead ribozyme-fused RNA1 and RNA2 (with the capsid gene ORF replaced with VHSV glycoprotein ORF) exhibited significantly higher transcription of the VHSV glycoprotein gene compared to cells transfected with either a vector without hammerhead ribozyme or a conventional DNA vaccine vector expressing the VHSV glycoprotein. Furthermore, the transcription level of the VHSV glycoprotein in cells transfected with a vector harboring hammerhead ribozyme-fused RNA1 and RNA2 showed a significant increase over time. These results suggest that NNV genome-based DNA replicon vectors have the potential to induce stronger and longer expression of target antigens compared to conventional DNA vaccine vectors.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to monitor the prevalence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), nervous necrosis virus (NNV) and marine birnavirus (MABV) in cultured walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus by RT-PCR. All of the viruses tested were not detected by one-step PCR in 62 spleen sample sets, except for NNV in one brain sample set (1/55). By two-step PCR, VHSV was detected in 51.6%(32/62) and NNV was detected in 1.6%(1/62) spleen sample set, but MABV was not detected. In the brain sample sets, the detection rate of NNV was 3.6%(2/55). VHSV and NNV were detected for the first time in cultured walleye pollock in this study. However, the titers of viruses in these sample sets are thought to be very low, because most of the positive sample sets were detected by two-step PCR and none of the fish showed any clinical symptoms of each virus. Continuous monitoring, subsequent virus isolation and validation of carrier fish will be necessary.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.171-175
• /
• 2020

We developed and subsequently characterized mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against marine birnavirus (MABV). Eight hybridoma clones secreting mAbs against MABV were established. All eight mAbs (8G6, 11C3, 15E3, 17H6, 32A6, 35A7, 38B5, and 47E3) were reacted with viral protein 3 of MABV in MABV-infected CHSE-214, whereas, no reactivity was observed in normal CHSE-214 by western blot analysis. Moreover, these eight mAbs were strongly reacted with MABV, and no cross-reactivity has been observed against other five fish viruses (hirame rhabdovirus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, nervous necrosis virus, spring viraemia of carp virus, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus), although five mAb (11C3, 15E3, 17H6, 32A6, and 38B5) reacted with both MABV and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These results indicate that the mAbs can be of value in MABV detection.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.177-184
• /
• 2021

Vaccines based on single-cycle viruses that are replication-incompetent due to knockout of replication-related structural gene(s) are more immunogenic than inactivated or subunit vaccines and can be used as delivery vehicles for foreign antigens without concerns on the reverting to virulent forms. The aim of this study was to develop a delivery vehicle for nervous necrosis virus (NNV)-like particles (VLPs) using G gene deleted single-cycle VHSV (rVHSV-𝚫G). Recombinant single-cycle VHSVs carrying NNV capsid protein gene between N and P gene of rVHSV-𝚫G genome (rVHSV-𝚫G-NNV_Cap) were rescued by reverse genetic technology. The successful expression of NNV capsid protein in cells infected with rVHSV-𝚫G-NNV_Cap was demonstrated by Western blot analysis, and the production of NNV VLPs in infected cells was confirmed using an electron microscopy. The results suggest that single-cycle VHSVs can be used as a safe delivery vehicle for NNV VLPs, and can be extended to other pathogens for the development of prophylactic vaccines.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.71-79
• /
• 2018

Wild walleye pollock were caught from Goseong, The East Sea of Korea and examined for the existence of several fish pathogenic viruses; viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), nervous necrosis virus (NNV) and marine birnavirus (MABV). We collected 1,253 wild walleye pollock in total during February 2015 and August 2018. 324 spleen sample sets and 259 brain sample sets were made, and examined for the existence of the viruses mentioned above by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). None of the target viruses were detected by one-step PCR. When some of these samples were further examined by two-step PCR, 19.7% (36/183) of spleen sample sets were positive for VHSV, and 4.4% (8/183) of spleen sample sets and 1.2% (3/259) of brain sample sets were positive for NNV. The target sequences of these viruses were clustered with those previously reported in Korea (Genotype IVa of VHSV, RGNNV genotype of NNV) by phylogenetic analysis. The activity of these viruses are not clear because virus isolation was not attempted, but probably very low because all the positive samples were detected by two-step PCR.