Gn. Frerichs et al., CELL-CULTURE ISOLATION OF PISCINE NEUROPATHY NODAVIRUS FROM JUVENILE SEA BASS, DICENTRARCHUS-LABRAX, Journal of General Virology, 77, 1996, pp. 2067-2071
A virus causing a vacuolating encephalopathy and retinopathy in juveni
le sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, was isolated from brain tissue in a
fish cell line (SSN-1) derived from striped snakehead, Channa striatu
s, The isometric, non-enveloped, 30 nm diameter virus particles were r
esistant to pH 2-9 and heating at 56 degrees C for 30 min, Infectious
particles had a buoyant density of approximately 1.31 g/cm(3) in CsCl,
Two structural polypeptides of molecular mass 40 and 42 kDa were iden
tified and the ssRNA consisted of two fragments of molecular mass 1.10
and 0.51 x 10(6) Da, From these characteristics the virus was identif
ied as a nodavirus. Due to the broad range of susceptible fish hosts a
nd the consistent neuropathology of the disease condition, the generic
term piscine neuropathy nodavirus (PNN) is proposed for this infectio
us agent.