Toxicity to marine bivalves of culture supernatant fluids of the bivalve‐pathogenic Vibrio strain NCMB 1338 and other marine vibrios

• Published in: Journal of Fish Diseases
• Main Authors: NOTTAGE, A. S., BIRKBECK, T. H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1986
• Subjects: Pacific; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2761.1986.tb01009.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2761.1986.tb01009.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2761.1986.tb01009.x

Abstract. Culture supernatant fluids from twelve Vibrio strains were toxic to spat of the European and Pacific oysters, Ostrea edulis L., and Crassostrea gigas L. At least three factors were present in culture supernates of one of the most virulent strains (NCMB 1338). The first was a heat‐labile protein of molecular weight approximately 39000 which was lethal to oyster spat. This toxin was released during the stationary phase of culture and 72‐h culture supernates contained 23·0LC 50 ml when assayed against 2–3 mm Crassostrea gigas spat for 24 h at 20°C. Under the same assay conditions, 7‐mm C. gigas spat were six times less sensitive to the toxin. The second factor was a relatively heat‐stable ciliostatic toxin of molecular weight < 5000 and the third a proteinase of molecular weight 30000 which degraded gill segments of Mytilus edulis L. In addition, a haemolysin of molecular weight 20000 was produced. All these factors could be involved in the pathogenesis of ‘vibriosis’ in oyster larvae.