Channel Catfish Ovary Research Articles

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of water and sediment samples from gypsum mining area in channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells

Man-made activities such as mining generate certain amounts of metal contaminated wastes which can reach aquatic environment and cause the serious effects on different organisms and ecosystem. Chemical analysis of the environmental samples is the most direct approach to reveal their pollution status but it cannot always provide information on biological effects to different organisms, including fish. This study was aimed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of water and sediment samples from gypsum mining area using the channel catfish ovary (CCO) cell line. Results obtained by the WST-1 assay and alkaline comet assay revealed that exposure of CCO cells to the same concentrations of contaminated water and sediment samples caused significant decrease in cell viability and increased DNA damages. Chemical analysis of water and sediment samples showed that increased concentrations of strontium, aluminum and iron were mainly responsible for the observed cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in CCO cells. The study suggested that fish CCO cells could be useful biological test-system for water and sediment cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessments.

In vitro cytotoxicity assessment of imidazolium ionic liquids: Biological effects in fish Channel Catfish Ovary (CCO) cell line

Increasing interest in the application of ionic liquids as green replacement for volatile organic solvents emphasized the need for the evaluation of their toxic effects at different biological systems in order to reduce the risk for human health and environment. To our knowledge, effects of imidazolium ionic liquids on cellular level of fish cell lines have not been studied yet. The cytotoxicity of imidazolium ionic liquids containing different anions and alkyl chain lengths as the substituent at the cation ring towards the fish CCO cell line was determined by WST-1 proliferation assay. Morphological alterations were examined by fluorescent microscopy using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and flow cytometry analysis was also performed. The results showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of ionic liquids in CCO cells, related to the type of anion and alkyl chain length, while EC50 values showed moderate to high cytotoxicity of tested imidazolium ionic liquids. Distinct morphological changes observed under fluorescence microscope and data obtained by flow cytometry suggest that the toxicity of imidazolium ionic liquids with longer alkyl chains could be related to necrosis. Results presented in here may be helpful for filling existing gaps of knowledge about ionic liquids toxicity and their impact on aquatic environment.

Identification of envelope protein ORF10 of channel catfish herpesvirus

Channel catfish virus (CCV) is a viral pathogen of fry and fingerling channel catfish and can cause significant commercial loss. Previous studies have shown that the CCV virion contains at least 25 predicted structural proteins, including viral protein 10, which is encoded by the orf10 gene of the CCV. In this paper, the orf10 gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and used to produce a specific antibody. Western blot analysis confirmed that open reading frame 10 is an envelope protein. A viral neutralization assay demonstrated that open reading frame 10 antiserum was able to inhibit CCV infection of channel catfish ovary cells, suggesting that viral protein 10 is likely to play an important role in the CCV infection of channel catfish ovary cells.

Generation and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Channel Catfish Virus

Three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against channel catfish virus (CCV) were generated from mice immunized with purified CCV. Western blot analysis revealed that the MAb 3G12 reacted with three CCV proteins of 94 kDa, 130 kDa, and 170 kDa; the MAb 4C4 reacted with two CCV proteins of 130 kDa and 170 kDa; and the MAb 4D4 reacted with two CCV proteins of 94 kDa and 98 kDa. Indirect immunofluorescence assay showed intense fluorescence in the CCV-infected channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells in areas corresponding to the location of granular structures. In addition, the three MAbs could completely neutralize CCV at a dilution of 1:500. This study demonstrated that these MAbs could recognize CCV specifically and will be useful in the development of diagnostic methods for the detection of fish CCV infection.

Establishment, characterization and viral susceptibility of a new cell line derived from goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.), tail fin

A continuous cell line [goldfish tail fin (GFTF)] derived from a goldfish tail fin, Carassius auratus, was established and characterized. GFTF cells predominantly consist of fibroblast-like cells that were maintained and subcultured more than 50 times over a period of 15 months. Cells grew at temperatures between 15 and 37°C, with an optimum temperature of 25°C. The growth rate of GFTF cells increased proportionally with the foetal bovine serum (FBS) concentration (5-20%), with optimum growth at 20% FBS. The chromosome numbers were 88-112, with a modal peak of 104 chromosomes. Five known fish viruses were tested to determine susceptibility. Results demonstrated that GFTF is susceptible to snakehead rhabdovirus, spring viraemia of carp virus and channel catfish virus (CCV). In addition, GFTF demonstrated a higher sensitivity to, and increased viral production of, CCV than that observed in the control cell line, channel catfish ovary cells. This suggests that GFTF cells would be useful as a diagnostic tool for viral diseases in this fish species, as well as for the isolation and study of goldfish viruses in the future. Furthermore, these cells were transfected with pEGFP-N1 vector DNA and some fluorescent signals were observed, suggesting that GFTF cells could be a useful tool for transgenic and genetic manipulation studies.

Comparison of Cytotoxicity Induced by 17α-Ethynylestradiol and Diethylstilbestrol in Fish CCO and Mammalian CHO-K1 Cell Lines

The effects of synthetic estrogens 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) were compared on cell proliferation and morphology in Channel Catfish Ovary (CCO) and Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K1) cells. EE2 exposure (0.1 and 0.5 μg/mL) induced stimulatory effect on CCO and CHO-K1 cell proliferation, while higher concentrations (1-10 μg/mL) showed cytotoxic effects. Increase in DES concentrations mainly resulted in dose-depended increase in cytotoxicity in both cell lines. Morphological changes induced by EE2 and DES exposure (5 μg/mL) showed disrupted cell monolayer and increased number and size of lysosomes. Comparison of IC(50) values showed almost equal sensitivity towards cytotoxicity of tested compounds in CCO and CHO-K1 cells.

Influence of different ammonium, lactate and glutamine concentrations on CCO cell growth

In this study the effects of ammonium and lactate on a culture of channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells were examined. We also made investigation on the influence of glutamine, since our previous research revealed that this amino acid stimulated CCO cell growth more than glucose in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of ammonium in cell culture included the considerable decrease in cell growth rate with eventual growth arrest as well as the retardation of glucose consumption. At ammonium concentrations above 2.5mM, the cells displayed specific morphological changes. The effect of lactate was different to that of ammonium since the cell growth rate was progressively decreasing with the increase of lactate concentration, whereas the glucose consumption rate remained almost unchanged. Besides that, it was found that lactate was steadily eliminated from the culture medium when its initial concentration was relatively high. The influence of glutamine on CCO cell propagation showed that nutrient requirements of this cell line were mainly dependent on glutamine rather than glucose. The increase in glutamine concentration led to the increase in cell growth rate and consequent ammonia accumulation while the glucose utilization and lactate production were reduced. Without glutamine in culture medium cell growth was arrested. However, the lack of glucose reversed the stimulating effect of glutamine by decreasing cell growth rate and affecting amino acid utilization.

Growth and metabolic characteristics of CCO cells in static and dynamic cultivation systems

The cultivation of animal cells is of great importance for effective and reasonable bioprocess production of various therapeutic proteins as well as for fundamental laboratory research. The metabolic patterns of animal cells are altered substantially during the actions of establishment of a typical cell line designed for in vitro techniques. Therefore, characterization and understanding of cell metabolism are needed to improve the processes with cultivated animal cells. The channel catfish ovary cell line (CCO) was derived from the ovaries of a juvenile channel catfish some thirty years ago. Since then, it has been used for channel catfish virus vaccine production and related in vitro laboratory research. However there is still no enough data for basal understanding of their metabolism. We report on growth characteristics of CCO cells cultivated in multiwell plates and Wave bioreactor. Specific growth rate of CCO cells in multiwell plates was 0, 0206 h-1. The concentration of glucose in culture media remained unchanged through whole cultivation period. Glutamine was almost completely depleted and ammonia, its major wasteproduct, reached concentration of 2, 3 mM. Amino acid analysis of culture media showed that highly consumed amino acids, besides glutamine, were arginine, serine, and threonine, suggesting that they were main energy source. Cytodex 1 microcarriers were used in order to investigate medium-scale cultivation parameters of CCO cells in the Wave bioreactor. In this cultivation system oxygen transfer and mixing are accomplished by the wave-induced agitation. Micocarrier confluence was reached with cell density of 1, 8 x 10e6 cells/mL and cell growth rate of 0, 0182 h-1. The results proved the feasibility of employed culture conditions for cultivation of CCO cells.

Growth characteristics of channel catfish ovary cells—influence of glucose and glutamine

The growth characteristics and influence of glucose and glutamine on the growth and maintenance of channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells were investigated. Besides glutamine, amino acids threonine, arginine, methionine and serine were found to be essential for CCO cell growth. In the glucose-free medium, glutamine is utilized as energy source and no cell growth limitation was observed. However, the lack of glutamine in culture medium did not stimulate CCO cells to efficient glucose consumption. When both glucose and glutamine were deficient, cell growth was also observed suggesting no rigorous nutritional requirements. Obtained results are useful for further understanding of culture processes using CCO cells.

Genomic organisation of the channel catfish Mx1 gene and characterisation of multiple channel catfish Mx gene promoters

In order to further characterise channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) Mx1, studies were initiated to amplify and clone the Mx1 promoter into a reporter vector, pGL3basic. Initially the Mx1 gene was amplified from genomic DNA and was found to have 12 exons and 11 introns, spanning a region over 6 kilobases (kb) in length. The Mx1 promoter was amplified using genome walking and during this process four additional Mx promoters were identified, suggesting the presence of five Mx genes in the channel catfish. All five promoters possess an interferon stimulated response element (ISRE) and the Mx1 promoter possessed two potential NF-κβ transcription sites. Following cloning each construct was transiently transfected into COS-7 and EPC cells for 24 h and treated with 5 μg/ml poly I:C for 24 h. An increase in expression of the reporter gene in response to poly I:C was noted in both cell lines in the pGL3 Mx1 construct only. However, the reporter gene was also constitutively expressed in these cells. Constitutive expression was also observed in channel catfish ovary cells transiently transfected with pGL3 Mx1 only. Treatment with 5 μg/ml poly I:C did not increase this expression, which may be due to high levels of cell death in this difficult to transfect cell line. The constitutive expression observed implies that a repressor element is missing in the 390 base pair sequence of the Mx1 promoter used in this study. These results suggest that only channel catfish Mx1 is involved in the type I interferon pathway and that the presence of an ISRE in a regulatory region is not necessarily indicative of a role in the type I interferon response.

Comparative evaluation of the cytotoxicity sensitivity of six fish cell lines to four heavy metals in vitro

To establish the potential use of cell cultures as a simple and sensitive biological tool to detect environmental pollutants, six cell lines established from several fish species including GCF (grass carp fins), CIK ( Ctenopharyngodon idellus kidney), EPC (epithelioma papulosum cyprini), CCO (channel catfish ovary), BB (brown bullhead caudal trunk) and FHM (fathead minnow muscle) were tested and compared for their cytotoxic sensitivity to four heavy metals: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu). Following a 24-h exposure to these metal salts at selected concentrations, test cells were characterized by morphology, viability and proliferation. Our results indicate that all these metal salts are cytotoxic to these fish cell lines, but at varied levels. Calculated inhibitory concentration (IC 50) values revealed that the cytotoxicity of Cr and Cd was significantly more pronounced than that of the other two metal salts. Comparative analysis of these fish cell lines showed that C. idellus kidney (CIK) cells are the most sensitive cell line to copper, epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells are more sensitive than other cells to Cr and Zn, while channel catfish ovary (CCO) cell line is the most sensitive one to Cd. In conclusion, CIK, EPC and CCO could potentially be sensitive bio-indicators for the initial monitoring and assessment of acute cytotoxicity of heavy metals in the aquatic environment.

Susceptibility of cyprinid cultured cells to cyprinid herpesvirus 3

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 is a highly contagious and lethal virus that affects ornamental koi and common carp worldwide. However, it is not yet known whether other cyprinids are infected and/or harbor the virus. Here, we report that cultured cells derived from common carp, koi, silver carp and goldfish allow CyHV-3 propagation, while cyprinid cells derived from fathead minnow and non-cyprinid cells derived from the channel catfish ovary are resistant to CyHV-3 infection. Interestingly, the epithelioma papulosum Cyprini cells derived from Cyprinus carpio are restrictive to the virus. These results indicate that CyHV-3 is not restricted to common carp and koi, but other cyprinids are also vulnerable to the virus.

Poly I:C inhibits the expression of channel catfish virus immediate-early gene ORF 1 at early times after infection

Channel catfish virus (CCV) is a herpesvirus that infects channel catfish fry and fingerlings. Previous research has demonstrated that Type I interferons inhibit the expression of immediate-early (IE) genes of some mammalian herpesviruses. However, CCV is distantly related to the mammalian herpesviruses and Type I interferons from higher vertebrates exhibit only 20% similarity to fish interferons. In this work we demonstrate that treatment of channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells, a fibroblast-like cell line, with poly I:C, a known inducer of Type I interferons, results in inhibition of expression of the CCV IE gene ORF 1. Thus, although the genes involved have diverged, the mechanism appears to be conserved. If this paradigm holds true for other CCV IE-Type I interferon interactions, it could have important implications for the impact of CCV on the host immune system.

Evaluation of Cell Culture Methods for Detection of Largemouth Bass Virus

AbstractLargemouth bass virus (LMBV), a recently discovered iridovirus found in the eastern United States, is usually detected by isolation in cell culture. Although LMBV will replicate in several cell lines, optimal cell culture methods for the detection of this virus have not been determined. We tested inoculation method, adsorption time, incubation temperature, and various cell lines to determine the conditions that would provide the most sensitive cell culture assay for LMBV. The optimal inoculation procedure tested was to remove the culture medium from the culture well before the addition of the inoculum, and the optimal adsorption procedure tested was to allow the virus to adsorb for 40 min while the plates were on an orbital shaker. Following inoculation, incubation at 30°C resulted in a higher number of viral plaques than incubation at 25°C or 32°C. Four cell lines (bluegill fry (BF‐2), fathead minnow (FHM), epithelioma papulosum cyprini, and channel catfish ovary cells) inoculated with LMBV had similar susceptibility to infection. Similar percentages of LMBV‐positive samples were detected in BF‐2 and FHM cell cultures inoculated with homogenized organ samples from largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides; however, the use of two cell lines increased the number of infected samples discovered. A blind passage also increased the number of positive samples detected in cell culture. Subcultivation to confirm virus‐positive samples was useful for reducing false‐positive results.

Cloning and characterisation of a channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) Mx gene

A 2.5 kb full-length cDNA clone of a channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) Mx gene was obtained using RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from RNA extracted from the liver of poly I:C stimulated channel catfish. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 1905 nucleotides encoding a 635 amino acid protein. The predicted protein is 72.5 kDa and contains the dynamin family signature, a tripartite GTP binding motif and a leucine zipper, characteristic of all known Mx proteins. The catfish Mx protein exhibited 79% identity with perch Mx and between 71% and 74% identity with the three Atlantic salmon and the three rainbow trout Mx proteins. Mx mRNA was constitutively expressed in channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells, but in higher quantities in response to poly I:C treatment. Mx was induced in channel catfish following injection with channel catfish virus (CCV) and poly I:C.

Channel catfish virus gene expression in experimentally infected channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque).

Channel catfish virus (CCV) produces an acute haemorrhagic disease in fingerling channel catfish and establishes latent infection in fish that survive the primary infection. This study investigated CCV gene expression in tissues of experimentally infected fish. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays were developed for detection of transcripts expressed by each of the CCV direct repeat region genes in CCV-infected channel catfish ovary cells and in tissues of infected fish. Immediate-early, early and late gene transcripts were detected in the blood, brain, kidney and liver tissues of acutely infected catfish demonstrating active viral replication in multiple tissues during the early stages of CCV infection. However, there was no evidence for viral replication by 24 days post-infection in tissues of fish that survived the acute disease. Viral latency-associated transcripts encoded by CCV direct repeat genes were not detected in latently infected catfish. The results of this study provide a foundation for further studies to investigate the molecular basis of CCV pathogenesis and latency.

Identification of a cDNA encoding channel catfish interferon

Despite considerable advances in our understanding of teleost immunity, relatively few cytokine genes, including those for interferon (IFN), have been identified at the molecular level. In contrast, numerous studies have shown that following virus infection or exposure to double-stranded RNA, fish or fish cells produce a soluble factor that is functionally similar to mammalian IFN. A putative catfish (CF) IFN cDNA was identified by BLASTX screening of a catfish EST library generated from a mixed lymphocyte culture enriched for NK-like cells. Consistent with its designation as a putative cytokine cDNA, the 3′ non-translated region contained multiple copies of an RNA instability motif. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of CF IFN showed low levels of identity/similarity to a panel of mammalian and avian IFN proteins, and markedly higher similarity to a recently identified zebrafish IFN. To determine if the identified cDNA encoded CF IFN, expression was monitored following infection of channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells with UV-inactivated catfish reovirus or exposure to double-stranded RNA, treatments which induce IFN or IFN-like activity in catfish and other species. In both cases, upregulation of putative CF IFN mRNA was detected. Moreover, upregulation of CF IFN mRNA was accompanied by the appearance of an antiviral factor in the culture medium. To confirm these results, recombinant CF IFN was synthesized in COS-7 cells and shown to have antiviral activity in CCO cells. Collectively, these results argue strongly that the identified catfish cDNA is an IFN homolog.

Invasion and Replication of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida in Fish Cell Lines

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida to invade and replicate within different fish cell lines. Channel catfish ovary (CCO), fathead minnow (FHM), and epithelioma papillosum cyprini (EPC) cell lines were all susceptible to invasion and supported replication of P. damselae in an in vitro invasion assay in which extracellular growth was controlled with gentamicin. The number of bacteria recovered from EPC and CCO cells increased significantly after 6, 12, and 18 h, indicating that P. damselae replicated within those cells. There was also a significant increase in EPC cells at 3 h. Although the number of bacteria recovered from FHM cells increased slightly after 3 and 6 h, it declined at 12 and 18 h. The decline, however, was due to the early release of bacteria from FHM cells associated with a greater susceptibility to initial infection, which resulted in early cell lysis and subsequent exposure to gentamicin in the media. Using light an...

Systemic herpes-like virus in catfish Ictalurus melas (Italy) differs from Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 (North America).

A herpesvirus was isolated during 2 occurrences of mass mortality among adult catfish Ictalurus melas raised in different farms in northern Italy. The agent replicated in the channel catfish ovary (CCO) cell line from channel catfish I. punctatus, inducing a cytopathic effect similar to that caused by Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 (also referred to as channel catfish herpesvirus, CCV). The new herpesvirus, designated I. melas herpesvirus (IcmHV) did not react with polyclonal rabbit or monoclonal antibodies directed to CCV in either neutralization or indirect immunofluorescence assays. The virions of IcmHV possessed a hexagonal nucleocapsid of 107 nm in diameter surrounded by an envelope with a diameter of 227 nm (n = 20) typical for members of the family Herpesviridae. Virions of IcmHV purified from infected CCO cells contained 17 polypeptides ranging in size from 17.5 to 175 kDa and most differed in molecular weight from those found for CCV. The IcmHV was also distinct from CCV when compared by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of genomic DNA following digestions with the endonucleases Kpn I and Sac I. Lastly, the virulence of IcmHV for channel catfish fry and juveniles, respectively, was demonstrated by experimental infections induced by bath exposure or intraperitoneal injection that resulted in 78 to 96% cumulative mortality in groups of exposed fish. Preventing the introduction of this agent into geographic regions where significant channel catfish production occurs should be a high priority.

Effect of β-naphthoflavone and dimethylbenz[ a]anthracene on apoptosis and HSP70 expression in juvenile channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) ovary

Complex environmental mixtures such as pulp mill effluents and crude oil have been shown to increase ovarian cell apoptosis and affect heat shock protein (HSP) expression in fish. We hypothesize that polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) mediate these effects. To test this hypothesis, we exposed juvenile channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) acutely to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, β-naphthoflavone (BNF; 75 mg/kg) or the model PAH, dimethylbenz[ a]anthracene (DMBA; 50 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation and HSP70 expression were determined in ovary and liver. Hepatic cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) was significantly induced, confirming that BNF and DMBA had distributed to internal organs and stimulated AhR. At 96 h post-injection, BNF and DMBA significantly increased apoptosis and decreased HSP70 expression in juvenile catfish ovaries. Although primary oocytes underwent the greatest rates of apoptosis compared to early or late vitellogenic follicles in all treatment groups, the cell type undergoing increased rates of apoptosis after BNF or DMBA exposure was not clear using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). There was a significant negative relationship between expression of HSP70 and apoptosis in juvenile channel catfish ovaries. This differed from liver of these fish which did not exhibit increased apoptosis and instead increased hepatic HSP70 expression at 96 h post-injection. However, DMBA had no effect on apoptosis or HSP70 levels in more reproductively mature juvenile fish that were housed at a lower water temperature. This may be due to a developmental or temperature-dependent component to these responses. We propose that the decrease in ovarian HSP70 expression in response to BNF and DMBA may be causally related to the increase in ovarian cell apoptosis. Further experiments using a full time course, dose–response and methods to confirm that AhR is a direct mediator of these effects are required.