White coloration of the muscle of the giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is a serious problem in China. The Macrobrachium rosenbergii Nodavirus (MrNV) has been confirmed to be the pathogen that causes this disorder. To develop a rapid, sensitive and specific technology for the detection of Macrobrachium rosenbergii Nodavirus isolated from China (MrNV-China), a reverse-transcription loop- mediated isothermal amplification assay combined with a lateral flow dipstick (RT-LAMP-LFD) assay method is described. A set of four primers and a labeled probe were designed specifically to recognize six distinct regions of the MrNV RNA2 gene. Results showed the sensitivity of the RT-LAMP-LFD assay was ten-times higher than the reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (RT-LAMP) with agarose gel electrophoresis. The assay was conducted with one-step amplification at 61°C in a single tube within 45 min. No product was generated from shrimps infected with other viruses, including DNA viruses (infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV); white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)) and RNA viruses (Taura syndrome virus (TSV); infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV); yellow head virus (YHV)). Results were visualized by the LFD method. Therefore, the described rapid and sensitive assay is potentially useful for MrNV detection.
Animals ; Nodaviridae ; isolation & purification ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; methods ; Palaemonidae ; virology ; Reverse Transcription

OBJECTIVETo characterize the major allergens of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (giant freshwater prawn).

METHODSRaw and cooked extracts of the giant freshwater prawn were prepared. The IgE reactivity pattern was identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting technique with the sera of 20 skin prick test (SPT) positive patients. The major allergen identified was then characterized using the proteomics approach involving a combination of two-dimensional (2-DE) electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and bioinformatics tools.

RESULTSSDS-PAGE of the raw extract showed 23 protein bands (15-250 kDa) but those ranging from 40 to 100 kDa were not found in the cooked extract. From immunoblotting experiments, raw and cooked extracts demonstrated 11 and 5 IgE-binding proteins, respectively, with a molecular mass ranging from 15 to 155 kDa. A heat-resistant 36 kDa protein was identified as the major allergen of both extracts. In addition, a 42 kDa heat-sensitive protein was shown to be a major allergen of the raw extract. The 2-DE gel fractionated the prawn proteins to more than 50 different protein spots. Of these, 10 spots showed specific IgE reactivity with patients' sera. Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis led to identification of 2 important allergens, tropomyosin and arginine kinase.

CONCLUSIONSIt can be concluded that the availability of such allergens would help in component-based diagnosis and therapy of prawn allergies.

Allergens ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Computational Biology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fresh Water ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; immunology ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Weight ; Palaemonidae ; chemistry

Ecdysis is a common phenomenon that happens throughout the life phase of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. It is vital to better understand the correlation between cannibalism and biochemical compound that exists during the moulting process. The objective of the present study was to determine the amino acid profile released by M. rosenbergii during the ecdysis process that promotes cannibalism. To accomplish this, changes in amino acid levels (total amino acid (TAA) and free amino acid (FAA)) of tissue muscle, exoskeleton, and sample water of culture medium from the moulting (E-stage) and non-moulting (C-stage) prawns were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Comparison study revealed that among the TAA compounds, proline and sarcosine of tissues from moulting prawn were found at the highest levels. The level of FAA from water that contains moulting prawns (E-stage) was dominated by tryptophan and proline. Significant values obtained in the present study suggested that these amino acid compounds act as a chemical cue to promote cannibalism in M. rosenbergii during ecdysis. The knowledge of compositions and compounds that were released during the moulting process should be helpful for better understanding of the mechanism and chemical cues that play roles on triggering cannibalism, and also for future dietary manipulation to improve feeding efficiencies and feeding management, which indirectly impacts productivity and profitability.
Amino Acids/chemistry* ; Animals ; Aquaculture ; Cannibalism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Feeding Behavior ; Fresh Water ; Malaysia ; Molting ; Palaemonidae/physiology* ; Proline/chemistry* ; Tryptophan/chemistry*

The structural change of the oviduct of freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense) during spawning was examined by electron microscopy. The oviduct wall structural characteristics seem to be influenced significantly by the spawning process. Before the parturition and ovulation, two types of epithelial cells (types I and II) are found in the epithelium. The free surfaces of type I and type II cells have very dense long microvilli. Under the type I and type II cells, are a relatively thick layer of secreting material and a layer of mostly dead cells. After ovulation, two other types of epithelial cells (types III and IV) are found in the oviduct wall epithelium. The free surface of type III cells only has short microvilli scattered on the surface. The thick layer with secreting material and the dead cell layer disappeared at this stage. In some type III cells, the leaking out of cytoplasm from broken cell membrane led to the death of these type III cells. The transformation of all four types of epithelial cells was in the order: IV-->I-->II-->III.
Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Breeding ; Female ; Fresh Water ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Oviducts ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Palaemonidae ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Reproduction ; physiology ; Sexual Maturation ; physiology