• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2006

The distribution of iridoviruses in five freshwater ornamental fishes, pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri), dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia), silver gourami (Trichogaster microlepis), blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus sumatranus) and freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare), imported from Singapore was examined in 2004 and 2005. The presence of iridoviruses in 56 sample groups was determined using PCR technique and showed PCR positive in 11 sample groups. The proportion of fish infected by iridovirus was differed depending upon species; 31.8% (7/22) for pearl gourami, 18.2% (2/11) for dwarf gourami, 16.7% (1/6) for blue gourami, 9.1% (1/11) for silver gourami and 0% (0/6) for angelfish. In quantitative comparison of viral DNAs isolated from infected tissues, the DNA concentration of iridovirus in pearl gourami was higher than that in dwarf gourami. Although pearl gourami infected naturally by iridovirus showed 100% mortality in keeping experiment for 3 weeks, only 57% of those was positive in PCR. In the comparison of nucleotide sequences of the PstⅠ fragment known as the most variable genomic region, both iridoviruses isolated from pearl gourami and dwarf gourami showed identity more than 99% with infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) isolated from mandarinfish (Siniperca chuatsi).

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2006

In the survey of the samples infected by iridovirus, we found the natural outbreak of iridovirus disease in the ornamental fish, pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri) in Korea. It was characterized by the appearance of enlarged cells and necrosis in the observation of the imprinted spleen cells under iridovirus. To determine the infection of iridovirus more accurately, PCR using 2 different primer sets for MCP and ATPase gene used for the diagnosis of iridovirus infection was done and found the produced fragments matched with the size of expectation. Partially determined nucleotide sequences of the MCP gene of the iridovirus isolated in this study showed very high homology (99.6%) with that of ISKNV as a reference strain. In challenge experiment with the iridovirus isolated from the moribund of pearl gourami, the pathogenicity of the isolated iridovirus was confirmed and suggested the potential of the risk associated the transfer of iridovirus from the ornamental fishes to the marine culturing fishes.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.343-351
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• 1999

The structures of the fertilized egg envelope from three species, three-spot gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus), pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri) and marble gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus trichopterus) belong to Belontiidae were observed, utilizing light, scanning and transmission electron microscopes. In all three species, the fertilized eggs were the colorless, transparent, spherical, adhesive and pelagic type. A large oil droplet was located in vitelline membrane of the fertilized egg. The egg envelopes have a single micropyle, which is thought to the pathway of sperm in the area of the animal pole. Specially, the micropyle of three-spot gourami was similar to that of marble gourami which is subspecies of three-spot gourami. An outer surface of the fertilized egg envelope was arranged by grooves in all three species. The fertilized egg envelopes consists of two distinct layers; an adhesive outer layer and an inner layer with high electron density. In conclusion, the morphological similarity of the fertilized egg, micropyle, outer surface and transverse section of the fertilized e9g envelope seems to be an indication of the Belontiidae.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2012

Various antibiotics, that could induce the appearance of resistant microorganisms, have been used for treatment or prevention of bacterial diseases in marine and ornamental fish. We determined and characterized the level of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and proportion of multi-drug resistant bacteria in intestinal microflora of both marine fish cultured in Korea and imported ornamental freshwater fish. For this the bacterial species and resistance to antibiotics were investigated in intestine of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus cultured in Korea and pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri imported from Singapore to characterise. Although the bacterial species were different, proportions of resistant bacteria to single antibiotics or multi-drug were higher in intestinal microflora of pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri imported from Singapore than in rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus cultured in Korea. These results indicate that various antibiotics have been being used before trading without measures in the market of asian ornamental fishes, providing high risks for the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.352-358
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• 2011

The presence of ISKNV-like viruses in various freshwater ornamental fish species imported from Asia was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification of the ATPase(adenosine triphosphatase) gene. Interestingly, molecular analyses of the Open Reading Frame 25(ORF25) region of these isolates based on the ISKNV(Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus) genome revealed the presence of various repetitive sequences. ORF25 repeat sequence length had no effect on cumulative mortality of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus challenged with tissue homogenates of infected pearl gourami, Trichogaster leeri; silver gourami, Trichogaster microlepis; blue gourami, or Trichogaster trichopterus. All isolates induce cumulative mortalities after 12 days of infection, confirming that ORF25 polymorphism did not affect the pathogenicity of ornamental fish megalocytiviruses that cross infect rock bream, a seawater fish. Also, no statistically significant differences in spleen index or viral copy number in infected tissues was detected between isolates with varying ORF25 repeat sequence lengths. However, further studies are necessary to fully characterize the functional characteristics of these polymorphisms in megalocytivirus disease in ornamental fishes.