A novel neurotropic microsporidium from the swamp guppy Micropoecilia picta from Grenada, West Indies.

A novel microsporidium was observed in wild swamp guppies Micropoecilia picta from Levera Pond within Levera National Park Grenada, West Indies. Initial observations indicated similarity with Pseudoloma neurophilia, an important pathogen in zebrafish Danio rerio. P. neurophilia exhibit broad host specifity, including members of the family Poecillidae, and both parasites infect the central nervous system. However, spore morphology and molecular phylogeny based on rDNA showed that the swamp guppy microsporidium (SGM) is distinct from P. neurophilia and related microsporidia (Microsporidium cerebralis and M. luceopercae). Spores of the SGM were smaller than others in the clade (3.6 µm long). Differences were also noted in histology; the SGM formed large aggregates of spores within neural tissues along with a high incidence of numerous smaller aggregates and single spores within the surface tissue along the ventricular spaces that extended submeninx, whereas P. neurophilia and M. cerebralis infect deep into the neuropile and cause associated lesions. Analysis of small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences showed that the SGM was <93% similar to these related microsporidia. Nevertheless, one of 2 commonly used PCR tests for P. neurophilia cross reacted with tissues infected with SGM. These data suggest that there could be other related microsporidia capable of infecting zebrafish and other laboratory fishes that are not being detected by these highly specific assays. Consequently, exclusive use of these PCR tests may not accurately diagnose other related microsporidia infecting animals in laboratory and ornamental fish facilities.

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) resistance to columnaris disease is heritable and favorably correlated with bacterial cold water disease resistance.

Columnaris disease (CD), caused by Flavobacterium columnare, is an emerging disease affecting rainbow trout aquaculture. Objectives of this study were to 1) estimate heritability of CD resistance in a rainbow trout line (ARS-Fp-R) previously selected 4 generations for improved bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) resistance; 2) estimate genetic correlations among CD resistance, BCWD resistance, and growth to market BW; and 3) compare CD resistance among the ARS-Fp-R, ARS-Fp-S (selected 1 generation for increased BCWD susceptibility), and ARS-Fp-C (selection control) lines. Heritability of CD resistance was estimated using data from a waterborne challenge of 44 full-sib ARS-Fp-R families produced using a paternal half-sib mating design, and genetic correlations were estimated using these data and 5 generations of BCWD resistance, 9-mo BW (approximately 0.5 kg), and 12-mo BW (approximately 1.0 kg) data from 405 ARS-Fp-R full-sib families. The CD and BCWD challenges were initiated at approximately 52 and 84 d posthatch, or approximately 650 and 1,050 degree days (°C × d), respectively. Survival of ARS-Fp-R families ranged from 0 to 48% following CD challenge and heritability estimates were similar between CD (0.17 ± 0.09) and BCWD (0.18 ± 0.03) resistance, and the genetic correlation between these 2 traits was favorable (0.35 ± 0.25). Genetic correlations were small and antagonistic (-0.15 ± 0.08 to -0.19 ± 0.24) between the 2 resistance traits and 9- and 12-mo BW. Two challenges were conducted in consecutive years to compare CD resistance among ARS-Fp-R, ARS-Fp-C, and ARS-Fp-S families. In the first challenge, ARS-Fp-R families (83% survival) had greater CD resistance than ARS-Fp-C (73.5%; P = 0.02) and ARS-Fp-S (68%; P < 0.001) families, which did not differ (P = 0.16). In the second challenge, using an approximately 2.5-fold greater challenge dose, ARS-Fp-R families exhibited greater CD resistance (56% survival) than ARS-Fp-S (38% survival; P = 0.02) families. The favorable genetic correlation between CD and BCWD resistance is supported by greater CD resistance of the ARS-Fp-R line compared to the ARS-Fp-C and ARS-Fp-S lines and suggests that both traits will be improved simultaneously when selection is practiced on only 1 trait. In summary, these data indicate the feasibility of further selective breeding of the BCWD-resistant ARS-Fp-R line for increased CD resistance to produce a double pathogen-resistant line of rainbow trout.