Construction of bacterial artificial chromosome libraries for Zhikong Scallop Chlamys farreri

Two Large-insert genomic bacterial artificial chromosome （BAC） libraries of Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri were constructed to promote our genetic and genomic research. High-quality megabase-sized DNA was isolated from the adductor muscle of the scallop and partially digested by BamH I and Mbo I, respectively. The BamH I library consisted of 53 760 clones while the Mbo I library consisted of 7 680clones. Approximately 96 % of the clones in BamH I library contained nuclear DNA inserts in average size of 100 kb, providing a coverage of 5.3 haploid genome equivalents. Similarly, the Mbo I library with an average insert of 145 kb and no insert-empty clones, thus providing a genome coverage of 1.1 haploid genome equivalents.     

BAC end sequencing of Pacific white shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Litopenaeus vannamei</Emphasis>: a glimpse into the genome of Penaeid shrimp

Little is known about the genome of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). To address this, we conducted BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) end sequencing of L. vannamei. We selected and sequenced 7 812 BAC clones from the BAC library LvHE from the two ends of the inserts by Sanger sequencing. After trimming and quality filtering, 11 279 BAC end sequences (BESs) including 4 609 paired- ends BESs were obtained. The total length of the BESs was 4 340 753 bp, representing 0.18% of the L. vannamei haploid genome. The lengths of the BESs ranged from 100 bp to 660 bp with an average length of 385 bp. Analysis of the BESs indicated that the L. vannamei genome is AT-rich and that the primary repeats patterns were simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and low complexity sequences. Dinucleotide and hexanucleotide repeats were the most common SSR types in the BESs. The most abundant transposable element was gypsy, which may contribute to the generation of the large genome size of L. vannamei. We successfully annotated 4 519 BESs by BLAST searching, including genes involved in immunity and sex determination. Our results provide an important resource for functional gene studies, map construction and integration, and complete genome assembly for this species.     

Construction of cDNA subtractive library from pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata Gould) with red color shell by SSH

The molecular basis of color polymorphism in the shells of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata is largely unknown. We developed a red-shelled family line and used suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) to screen for differentially expressed genes in red- and non-red-shelled pearl oysters. We constructed forward and reverse cDNA subtractive libraries consisting of 2 506 and 797 clones, respectively. Among 343 randomly selected clones in the forward library, 304 sequences were identified in GenBank using BLASTx and BLASTn. Of the 304 sequences, 13 showed no similarity to known sequences and 291 were matched with known genes of the pearl oyster, including shematrin-1, shematrin-2, shematrin-6, shematrin-7, nacrein, nacrein-like protein, aspein for shell matrix protein, glycine-rich protein, mantle gene 5, 28S, EST00031, EST00036, 16S, and COΙ. In the reverse library, 7 clones were sequenced and analyzed by BLAST. Two sequences shared similarity with EST00036 from the P. fucata subtraction cDNA library, four with the P. fucata mitochondrial gene for 16S rRNA and 1 with P. fucata shematrin-2. We evaluated the expression of 12 genes from the forward library using RT PCR. Two sequences matched with 16S and COΙ so were considered to be false positives. The remaining 10 sequences were differentially expression in the red-shelled pearl oysters. Our results suggest that differential expression of these genes may be related to color variation in the red-shelled family line of the pearl oyster.     

An Efficient Procedure for Isolating Microsatellite DNAs from Sea Cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus)

1 Introduction Microsatellite DNAs, also called simple sequence re-peats (SSRs), are stretches of DNA, consisting of tan-demly repeating mono-, di-, tri-, tetra- or penta-nucleotide units. They are evenly distributed throughout the ge-nomes of most eukaryotic species (Tohn et al., 2000). Their high information content about the divergence of genome, which is directly related to the number of alleles at each locus, and the ease of PCR assays make them ex-cellent molecular markers (Powell …     

An efficient procedure for isolating microsatellite DNAs from sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)

The construction of enrichment library proves to be one of the efficient approaches for isolating microsatellites in this study. The genomic DNA of sea cucumber was digested with HaeIII and size-selected DNA fragments (250–700 bp) were ligated to an adaptor. Microsatellite-containing sequences were captured by using a combination of GA and CA probes, which were attached to a nylon membrane. The microsatellite enrichment library constructed in this study consisted of approximately 700 clones. Two hundred and thirty-two clones reacted positively after the library screening procedure. Of the 50 clones sequenced, all contained at least one microsatellite and one duplicate clone was found. Approximately 86% of the sequenced fragments permitted to design primers for sequence tagged microsatellite site (STMS).     

Construction of cDNA library from intestine, mesentery and coelomocyte of Apostichopus japonicus Selenka infected with Vibrio sp. and a preliminary analysis of immunity-related genes

The aquaculture of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) has grown rapidly during recent years and has become an important sector of the marine industry in Northern China. However, with the rapid growth of the industry and the use of non-standard culture techniques, epidemic diseases of A. japonicus now pose increasing problems to the industry. To screen the genes with stress response to bacterial infection in sea cucumber at a genome wide level, we constructed a cDNA library from A. japonicus Selenka (Aspidochirotida: Stichopodidae) after infecting them with Vibrio sp. for 48 h. Total RNA was extracted from the intestine, mesentery and coelomocyte of infected sea cucumber using Trizol and mRNA was isolated by Oligotex mRNA Kits. The ligated cDNAs were transformed into DH5α, and a library of 3.24×105 clones (3.24×105 cfu mL-1) was obtained with the sizes of inserted fragments ranging from 0.8 to 2.5 kb. Sequencing the cDNA clones resulted in a total of 1106 ESTs that passed the quality control. BlastX and BlastN searches have identified 168 (31.5%) ESTs sharing significant homology with known sequences in NCBI protein or nucleotide databases. Among a panel of 25 putative immunity-related genes, serum lectin isoform, complement component 3, complement component 3-like genes were further studied by real-time PCR and they all increased more than 5 fold in response to Vibrio sp. challenge. Our library provides a valuable molecular tool for future study of invertebrate immunity against bacterial infection and our gene expression data indicates the importance of the immune system in the evolution and development of sea cucumber.     

Analysis of SSRs derived from an EST library of half-smooth tongue sole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynoglossus semilaevis</Emphasis>

A complementary DNA (cDNA) library was constructed from half-smooth tongue sole spleen. A long-read expressed sequence tag (EST) database was generated, containing 3100 cDNA clones, of which 220 clones were fully sequenced. A total of 1060 non-redundant simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were obtained from the cDNA library. An average of 5 kb sequence generates 1 SSR in the half-smooth tongue sole spleen cDNA library. The proportion of the SSR unit size was different in the cDNA library. The monomeric repeats (51.4%) are the most abundant class of SSR in the dataset. The dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric and hexameric repeats are represented in decreasing proportions of 27.2%, 16.0%, 2.8% and 1.9%, respectively. The frequency of pentameric repeats was observed the least (only 0.7%). Most of the monomeric and dimeric repeats are distributed in 3′ and 5′ un-translation region. If translation regions are considered merely, trimeric repeats are the highest, accounting for 57% of the total microsatellites.     

Characterization of a Mutant of Alteromonas aurantia A18 and Its Application in Mariculture

Mutant J61321 with enhanced siderophore production of Alteromonas aurantia AI8 was obtained after a series of chemical-physical mutageneses. It was found that the antibacterial activity against Vibrio anguillarum W-1 and siderophore production of the mutant were higher than those by the original strain A 18 which had been used in mariculture. The results of the specific assay（Csaky and Arnow methods） of siderophore showed that the sidrophore with hydroxamate group was produced by mutant J61321 and the original strain A 18, respectively, while the siderophore with catechol group was yielded by strain W-1 （Aibrio anguillarum）. Meanwhile, the siderophore yield, antibacterial activity and anti-chelator activity of strain J61321 were higher than those of its parent strain A 18.     

Identification and characterization of pathogen to bacterial septicaemia in cultured turbot, Scophthalmus maximus

Bacteria-infected turbots Scophthalmus maximus with septicaemia were examined between 2001 and 2004 in aspects of the conditions of disease occurrence, clinical syndromes and pathological changes. The phenotypic information of pathogenic bacteria was studied, including morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and the mol% G C of the DNA. In addition, representative strains (S010623-1, LH031120-1) were selected for molecular identification by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results show that the isolates (LH031120-1 to LH031120-6, HT040308-1 to HT040308-6, HT040620-1 to HT040620-6) from three farms were identified as Edwardsiella tarda. The isolates (S010610-1 to S010610-10, S010623-1 to S010623-20) from one farm were identified as Listonella anguillarum. We conducted studies on the pathogenicity of isolates by artificial infection, and revealed all infected groups in morbidity and mortality. The septicaemia infected turbot showed a syndrome similar to that of the naturally infected fish. Antibiotic sensitivity showed that of 37 antimicrobial agents, E. tarda was sensitive to 27 agents, and L. anguillarum was sensitive to 21 agents.     

Rapid,sensitive detection of Vibrio anguillarum using loop-mediated isothermal amplification

Vibrio anguillarum is an important bacterial pathogen of aquatic organisms and a significant problem in aquatic farming.The rapid detection and identification of V.anguillarum,and other pathogens that infect marine organisms,is crucial to effective disease management.In this study,we developed a loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) assay to detect V.anguillarum in an hour in a single tube without the need for thermal cycling.Conserved regions of the metalloproteinase (empA) gene of V.anguillarum served as the targets for primer design.A fragment of the empA gene was amplified at 65°C in the presence of the primer mixture and Bst DNA polymerase.In the optimized LAMP assay,6.7 pg of V.anguillarum DNA could be detected.Six strains of V.anguillarum and 17 strains of non-V.anguillarum bacteria were used in this study to evaluate the species specificity of the primers.The six V.anguillarum strains gave a positive result in the LAMP assay.This method was also validated in V.anguillarum-infected fish.This LAMP method is more sensitive than PCR in the detection of V.anguillarum and shows good species specificity.The LAMP assay is therefore an effective method for the quick detection of V.anguillarum both in the laboratory and in the field.     

Effects of Different Preservation Methods on Physicochemical Property of Marine Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum

Freeze-drying, continuous passage and ultra-low temperature cryopreservation are often used to preserve pathogens. In this study, Vibrio anguillarum was rejuvenated by intramuscular infection as the initial strain. The difference between cells preserved with different preservation methods and their initial strains were compared with physiological and biochemical methods and through antibiotics resistance analysis. The composition of protectants for freeze-drying V. anguillarum was optimized. We found that the optimal composition of protectants was 8% of trehalose, 12% of skim milk, 8.0% of lactose, 2.0% of sodium citrate, 12.0% of serum and 8.0% of mannitol. The indexes of lysine decarboxylase and urease changed after continuous passage. The urease reaction changed after freeze-drying and freeze-thawing, but the reaction can be restored to the initial after freeze-drying. Based on the antibiotics resistance analyses, the sensitivity of V. anguillarum to different drugs including rifampicin, erythrocin, furazolidone, ceftazidime, lomefloxacin, gentamycin, azithromycin, doxycycline, ampicillin, co-trimoxazole and cefoperazone changed after different treatments, and some of these changes can be restored to the original through activation culture. In sum, compared with cryopreservation and continuous passage, the freeze-drying is more sustainable for the long-term preservation of V. anguillarum, which showed a better effect in maintaining the original characteristics of pathogen.     

Construction of a muscle cDNA library of Chinese shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fenneropenaeus chinensis</Emphasis> and sequence analysis of the troponin I gene

A muscle cDNA library of Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis) was constructed with the SMART™ cDNA Library Construction Kit. The titer of optimal primary library was 7.7×10⁵ pfu mL⁻¹ and that of the amplified library was 3.0×10⁹ pfu mL⁻¹. The percentages of the recombinant clones of primary and amplified libraries were over 98%. The insert sizes were longer than 400 bp with an average of 1000 bp. A positive clone containing a 794 bp insert was sequenced and identified encoding fast skeletal troponin I gene. This library provided a useful resource for the functional genomic research of F. chinensis.     

Sequences characterization of microsatellite DNA sequences in Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai)

The microsatellite-enriched library was constructed using magnetic bead hybridization selection method, and the microsatellite DNA sequences were analyzed in Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Three hundred and fifty white colonies were screened using PCR-based technique, and 84 clones were identified to potentially contain microsatellite repeat motif. The 84 clones were sequenced, and 42 microsatellites and 4 minisatellites with a minimum of five repeats were found (13.1% of white colonies screened). Besides the motif of CA contained in the oligoprobe, we also found other 16 types of microsatellite repeats including a dinucleotide repeat, two tetranucleotide repeats, twelve pentanucleotide repeats and a hexanucleotide repeat. According to Weber(1990), the microsatellite sequences obtained could be categorized structurally into perfect repeats (73.3%), imperfect repeats(13.3%), and compound repeats (13.4%). Among the microsatellite repeats, relatively short arrays (＜ 20 repeats) were most abundant,accounting for 75.0%. The largest length of microsatellites was 48 repeats, and the average number of repeats was 13.4. The data on the composition and length distribution of microsatellites obtained in the present study can be useful for choosing the repeat motifs for microsatetlite isolation in other abalone species.     

Sequences Characterization of Microsatellite DNA Sequences in Pacific Abalone (Haliotis discus hannat)

The microsatellite-enriched library was constructed using magnetic bead hybridization selection method, and the microsatellite DNA sequences were analyzed in Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Three hundred and fifty white colonies were screened using PCR-based technique, and 84 clones were identified to potentially contain microsatellite repeat motif. The 84 clones were sequenced, and 42 microsatellites and 4 minisatellites with a minimum of five repeats were found (13.1% of white colonies screened). Besides the motif of CA contained in the oligoprobe, we also found other 16 types of microsatellite repeats including a dinucleotide repeat, two tetranucleotide repeats, twelve pentanucleotide repeats and a hexanucleotide repeat. According to Weber(1990), the microsatellite sequences obtained could be categorized structurally into perfect repeats (73.3%), imperfect repeats(13.3%), and compound repeats (13.4%). Among the microsatellite repeats, relatively short arrays (＜ 20 repeats) were most abundant,accounting for 75.0%. The largest length of microsatellites was 48 repeats, and the average number of repeats was 13.4. The data on the composition and length distribution of microsatellites obtained in the present study can be useful for choosing the repeat motifs for microsatetlite isolation in other abalone species.     

Sequences Characterization of Microsatellite DNA Sequences in Pacific Abalone(Haliotis discus hannai)

1 Introduction Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are tandemly repeated motifs of one to six bases found in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes analysed to date (Zane et al., 2002). Due to their hyper-variable and co-dominant nature, relatively high abundance and random distribution in the genome, microsatellites are among the most efficient class of molecular markers. Such repeats display high polymorphism because of variation in repeat length and can be rapidly analysed t…     

Construction of cDNA Library of Pyrocystis lunula（Pyrophyta）

1　Introduction　Photosyntheticdinoflagellatesareimportantprima ryproducersandcausesoftoxic‘redtide’ .Theyarefoundinmostaquaticenvironmentsandformamajorpartofthemodernplankton .Dinoflagellatesmaybeimportantindicatorsofenvironmentalstatus (Dale ,1996 ) .…     

Construction of a Metagenomic DNA Library of Sponge Symbionts and Screening of Antibacterial Metabolites

To study the bioactive metabolites produced by sponge-derived uncultured symbionts, a metagenomic DNA library of the symbionts of sponge Gelliodes gracilis was constructed. The average size of DNA inserts in the library was 20 kb. This library was screened for antibiotic activity using paper disc assaying. Two clones displayed the antibacterial activity against Micrococcus tetragenus. The metabolites of these two clones were analyzed through HPLC. The result showed that their metabolites were quite different from those of the host E. coli DH5α and the host containing vector pHZ132. This study may present a new approach to exploring bioactive metabolites of sponge symbionts.     

Characterization of genome-wide microsatellites of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharina japonica</Emphasis> based on a preliminary assembly of Illumina sequencing reads

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSR) function widely and locate dependently in genome. However, their characteristics are often ignored due to the lack of genomic sequences of most species. Kelp (Saccharina japonica), a brown macroalga, is extensively cultured in China. In this study, the genome of S. japonica was surveyed using an Illumina sequencing platform, and its microsatellites were characterized. The preliminarily assembled genome was 469.4 Mb in size, with a scaffold N₅₀ of 20529 bp. Among the 128370 identified microsatellites, 90671, 25726 and 11973 were found in intergenic regions, introns and exons, averaging 339.3, 178.8 and 205.4 microsatellites per Mb, respectively. These microsatellites distributed unevenly in S. japonica genome. Mononucleotide motifs were the most abundant in the genome, while trinucleotide ones were the most prevalent in exons. The microsatellite abundance decreased significantly with the increase of motif repeat numbers, and the microsatellites with a small number of repeats accounted for a higher proportion of the exons than those of the intergenic regions and introns. C/G-rich motifs were more common in exons than in intergenic regions and introns. These characteristics of microsatellites in S. japonica genome may associate with their functions, and ultimately their adaptation and evolution. Among the 120140 pairs of designed microsatellite primers, approximately 75% were predicted to be able to amplify S. japonica DNA. These microsatellite markers will be extremely useful for the genetic breeding and population evolution studies of kelp.     

Identification and characterization of the Vibrio anguillarum prtV gene encoding a new metalloprotease

We cloned and sequenced a prtV-like gene from Vibrio anguillarum M3 strain.This prtV gene encodes a putative protein of 918 amino acids,and is highly homologous to the V.cholerae prtV gene.We found that a prtV insertion mutant strain displayed lower gelatinase activity on gelatin agar,lower protease activity against azocasein,and lower activity for four glycosidases.This prtV mutant strain also had increased activity for two esterases in its extracellular products,as analyzed by the API ZYM system.In additi...