Abstract
Tenacibaculum is a genus of gram negative, marine, filamentous bacteria, associated with the presence of disease (tenacibaculosis) at aquaculture sites worldwide; however, infections induced by this genus are poorly characterized. Documents regarding the genus Tenacibaculum and close relatives were compiled for a literature review, concentrating on ecology, identification, and impacts of potentially pathogenic species, with a focus on Atlantic salmon in Canada. Tenacibaculum species likely have a cosmopolitan distribution, but local distributions around aquaculture sites are unknown. Eight species of Tenacibaculum are currently believed to be related to numerous mortality events of fishes and few mortality events in bivalves. The clinical signs in fishes often include epidermal ulcers, atypical behaviors, and mortality. Clinical signs in bivalves often include gross ulcers and discoloration of tissues. The observed disease may differ based on the host, isolate, transmission route, and local environmental conditions. Species-specific identification techniques are limited; high sequence similarities using conventional genes (16S rDNA) indicate that new genes should be investigated. Annotating full genomes, next-generation sequencing, multilocus sequence analysis/typing (MLSA/MLST), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), and fatty acid methylesters (FAME) profiles could be further explored for identification purposes. However, each aforementioned technique has disadvantages. Since tenacibaculosis has been observed world-wide in fishes and other eukaryotes, and the disease has substantial economic impacts, continued research is needed.
Highlights
Salmonid aquaculture started in Canada roughly 200 years ago, and as of 2017, Canada is the fourth-largest supplier of salmonid products [1,2,3]
Pathogenic effects induced by Tenacibaculum spp. are predominantly recorded in fishes and are most often identified in aquaculture or laboratory settings, but disease is expected to occur in wild populations
F. psychrophilum is an etiological agent of bacterial cold-water disease (BCWD) and rainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS) [37,38], while F. columnare is an etiological agent of columnaris disease [39]
Summary
Salmonid aquaculture started in Canada roughly 200 years ago, and as of 2017, Canada is the fourth-largest supplier of salmonid products [1,2,3]. Salmon farmers in British Columbia (BC; Canada) have experienced frequent mortality events in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, AS) due to ‘mouthrot’ (a unique form of tenacibaculosis (other common names synonymous with mouthrot include yellow-mouth and bacterial stomatitis)) [4,5,6,7,8]. Current research has shown that multiple species within the genus Tenacibaculum could be an etiological agent responsible for tenacibaculosis [6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16]. Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding bacterial diversity, distribution, and pathogenicity of Tenacibaculum species. Given that the economic impact of mouthrot seems to be increasing, it is imperative that research focuses on the pathogenesis of disease and the role of the various bacterial species that induce mouthrot. Garnered information will allow interpretations of the advancements made in characterizing Tenacibaculum sp. infections
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