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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2004, p. 729-735, Vol. 70, No. 2
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.2.729-735.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effect of Extracellular Products of Pseudoalteromonas atlantica on the Edible Crab Cancer pagurus

Carolina Costa-Ramos and Andrew F. Rowley*

School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, United Kingdom

Received 7 July 2003/ Accepted 10 November 2003

Previous studies have shown that injection of extracellular products (ECP) of Pseudoalteromononas atlantica isolated from shell disease-infected edible crabs (Cancer pagurus) into healthy crabs causes rapid death. In this study we examined the nature of the active lethal factor(s) in ECP. Injection of ECP into crabs caused a rapid decline in the total number of circulating hemocytes (blood cells), and the crabs died within 60 to 90 min. The individuals that died showed eyestalk retraction, limb paralysis, and lack of antennal sensitivity, suggesting that the active factor(s) targeted the nervous system. Histopathological investigations showed that affected crabs had large aggregates of hemocytes in the gills, and there was destruction of the tubules in the hepatopancreas. The active factor in ECP was not sensitive to heat treatment (100°C for 30 min) and proteinase K digestion. As lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was a potential candidate for the lethal factor, it was purified from whole P. atlantica bacteria or ECP and subsequently injected into crabs. These crabs had all of the external symptoms observed previously with ECP, such as limb paralysis and eyestalk retraction, and they died within 90 min after challenge, although no significant decline in the number of circulating hemocytes was observed. Similarly, in vitro incubation of hemocytes with purified LPS (1 to 20 µg) from P. atlantica did not result in the clumping reaction observed with ECP but did result in a degranulation reaction and eventual cell lysis. Injection of crabs with Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa LPS (1 µg g of body weight-1) did not cause any of the characteristic symptoms observed following exposure to P. atlantica LPS. No mortality of crabs followed the injection of E. coli LPS, but P. aeruginosa LPS caused ca. 80% mortality at 2 h after injection. Overall, these results show that the main virulence factor of P. atlantica for edible crabs is LPS either alone or in combination with other heat-stable factors.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, United Kingdom. Phone: 01792 295455. Fax: 01792 295447. E-mail: a.f.rowley{at}swansea.ac.uk.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2004, p. 729-735, Vol. 70, No. 2
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.2.729-735.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sansom, F. M., Robson, S. C., Hartland, E. L. (2008). Possible Effects of Microbial Ecto-Nucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolases on Host-Pathogen Interactions. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 72: 765-781 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stentiford, G. D. (2008). Diseases of the European edible crab (Cancer pagurus): a review. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 65: 1578-1592 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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