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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #175056
Title: GENOME SEQUENCING OF THE VERTICALLY-TRANSMITTED FISH PATHOGEN RENIBACTERIUM SALMONINARUM

Author
item STROM, MARK - NW FISHERIES SCIENCE CTR
item Wiens, Gregory - Greg
item ROCKEY, DANIEL - OREGON STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2004
Publication Date: 1/16/2004
Citation: Strom, M., Wiens, G.D., Rockey, D. 2004. Genome sequencing of the vertically-transmitted fish pathogen renibacterium salmoninarum. Meeting Abstract P 90-93.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease, is a significant threat to the healthy and sustainable production of salmonid fish for consumption and species conservation efforts in the United States. Control of bacterial kidney disease is exceptionally difficult as there are no specific vaccines nor approved therapeutics. The development of treatments are further complicated as R. salmoninarum is vertically transmitted from infected females to their eggs, is difficult to culture in vitro, and is a facultative intracellular pathogen. In order to develop new and more effective molecular genetic approaches to control the disease, genome analysis of R. salmoninarum has been established as a high priority by the USDA Microbial Genomics Workshop 2000. Knowledge of the R. salmoninarum genome will serve as a foundation for identification of virulence factors, DNA vaccine gene candidates and improved diagnostic tests. In addition, the completed R. salmoninarum genome sequence will be a template for comparison with clinical and environmental isolates. Complete genome sequencing of R. salmoninarum is necessary as it will represent the first genome sequence from the Micrococcaceae family that includes seven described genera. This will add to the expanding diversity of genome sequences available to all scientists.