78, Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol.

, 32(3) 2012

Laboratory and field studies on gill and

kidney associated virus in the pen shell
Atrina lischkeana ​(Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Y. Maeno​1​*, K. Suzuki​2​, T. Yurimoto​1​, S. Kiyomoto​2​,

R. Fuseya​3​, H. Fujisaki​4​, M. Yoshida​5 ​and H. Nasu​6

1​
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba,

Ibaraki 305-8686,
​ Japan; ​2​Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries
Research Agency, 1551-8 Taira, Nagasaki, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan; ​3​National
Research Institute of Fisheries Engineering, Fisheries Research Agency, 7620-7 Hasaki,
Kamisu, Ibaraki 314-0408, Japan; 4​ ​Saga Prefectural Ariake Fishery Research and
Development Center, 2753-2 Nagata, Ashikari, Ogi, Saga 849-0313, Japan; 5​ ​Fisheries
Administration Division, Fukuoka Prefectural Government, 7-7 Higashi Kohen, Hakata,
Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8577, Japan; 6​ ​Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
Kumamoto Prefectural Government, 6-18-1 Suizenji, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 862-8570,
Japan

Abstract ​In the early 2000s, populations of the pen shell ​Atrina lischkeana ​from natural beds in Ariake
Bay, Kyushu Island, Japan, experienced mass mortality, with rates exceeding 60%. The affected pen shells
had histological lesions including necrosis in the epithelial cells of the kidney and gill, and viral particles in
the gills and kidneys. Experimental infections in the laboratory and field trials in two fishing grounds were
conducted to determine whether the gill and kidney associated virus was responsible for the disease. In the
experimental infection, mortality was observed in pen shells inoculated with infected kidney (mortality rate:
20%). Furthermore, necrosis in the kidneys and gills were observed and viral particles, identical to those
observed in natural infection, were detected in the kidneys and gills. In the field trials conducted in two
fishing grounds (A and B) in Ariake Bay, the cumulative mortality at 7 months post-transplantation was 80%
and 100%, respectively, and necrosis in the kidneys, gills and mantle were observed from 1 to 2 months
post-transplantation. In addition, viral particles were detected in the gills of pen shells in both fishing grounds
 at ap- proximately 1 to 2 months post-transplantation. These results suggest that the virus detected in the pen
shells is most probably involved in the etiology of the observed pathological conditions. The difference
between the mortality rates resulting from experimental infection in the laboratory and those observed in the
field trials might be explained by the synergistic effects of other factors such as a poor ambient environment
including the occurrence of hypoxia and red tides and/or physi- ological stress including gonad maturation.
Moreover, at the beginning of the 2000s, mass
mortality of ​A. lischkeana ​populations occurred in
Introduction ​Pen shells belonging to the family Ariake Bay, with mortality rates exceeding 60%
Pinnidae are fan-shaped bivalves that are common Kawahara and Ito, 2003).
along
hereafter, similar mass mortalities of pen shells
* Corresponding author’s e-mail: ymaeno@affrc.go.jp were also observed in exploited natural beds in
Ariake Bay (Yurimoto et al., 2008). A characteristic
coasts in Asian and Pacific areas (Oliver, 1992). Pen
shells are also a popular food source and ehavior of the affected pen shells was their tendency
o protrude above
Bull. Eur. theFish
Ass. sediment
Pathol.,surface prior to
32(3) 2012, 79death
Yurimoto et al., 2008). Severe and extensive
ecrosis in the gills and kidneys of moribund pen
are of high commercial value in Eastern Asia (Maeno hells had been previously observed and numerous
et al., 2009). In Japan, two types of pen shells have iral par- ticles were found in these tissues of the
been reported that differ in term of habitat and ffected
morphological characteristics of the valves: the scaly pen shells (Maeno et al., 2006). Moreover, an
type, which inhabits shallows and tidal flats, and the xamination of food availability and a detailed
non-scaly type, which inhabits the subtidal zone histopathological examination of moribund pen
(Torigoe, 1985). Although the classification of pen hells indicated a marked reduction in the feeding
shells has been a source of controversy, the scaly ctivity of these animals during the critical period of
type and non-scaly type have been recognized as maturation. Consequently, continuous starvation may
differ- ent species: ​Atrina lischkeana a​ nd ​Atrina have led to death (Yurimoto et al., 2008). The
pectinata,​ respectively (Kurosumi, 2000). Although elationship between the pathological changes in
the scientific name used for the pen shells described hese tissues and the presence of the virus has yet to
in previous papers was confused due to the be elucidated. The objective of the present study was
taxonomical issues mentioned above (Maeno et o determine whether the virus from the affected pen
al.,2006; Yurimoto et al., 2008; Maeno et al., 2009), hells could be transmi ed to healthy shells by
the target species of pen shell in the present study xperimental infection, and to examine the
was ​A. lischkeana.​ The Japanese pen shell fishery pathogenicity of the virus in experimental infection
has operated mainly in Ariake Bay, Kyushu Island, nd field trials.
where, in the 1960s, the total wet weight harvested
per year for both the aforementioned species was Material and Methods ​Experimental
more than 30,000 tons. However, the production of nfection in the laboratory F ​ our moribund pen
A. lischkeana ​in this area has decreased rapidly, hells (​A. lischkeana​) were collected from the
with harvests totaling as li le as 37 t in 1999. northeastern part of Ariake Bay in August 2004 and
were used as sources of inocula with which to infect
healthy animals. Samples of gill and kidney tissue
were aseptically dissected from the moribund
shellfish and were used to confirm the presence of
lesions and viral particles by histopathological
examination and electron microscopy. The remaining
kidney and gill material was stored in a liquid
nitrogen tank. The tissues were thawed and homog-
enized at a dilution of 1:10 w/v in sterilized artificial
seawater. After centrifuging at 1,500 rpm for 10 min
at 4°C, the resulting superna- tant was passed
through a syringe membrane filter (0.45μm), and
used as inoculum in the experimental trial. Control
tissue samples were processed in the same manner
from four healthy pen shells, collected from natural
beds around the Shiwaku Islands in Kagawa
Prefecture in March 2005. Prior to experimental
infection,
80, Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol., 32(3) 2012
gills, kidneys, mantles and digestive glands of these
shellfish were used for histological and electron
microscopic examination to confirm the absence of
lesions and viral particles in these tissues. The
shellfish were divided into 2 groups; an experimental
group containing healthy animals that were
inoculated with the homogenate of virus-infected
tissues (gill or kidney) and a control group, whereby
healthy animals were inoculated with homogenates
originating from healthy tissues. In each group, 0.1
mL of gill or kidney homogenate was inject- ed into
the adductor muscle of 40 ​A. lischkeana,​
respectively. These shells were then divided into two
sub groups: 20 pen shells were used for observation
of mortality and the other 20 pen shells for
histopathological examination. For virus detection,
kidneys and gills were sampled at 4 weeks
post-inoculation (p. i.). The pen shells were
maintained by feeding daily on an artificial diet
(M-1, NOSAN Corporation, Yokohama, Japan) and
concentrated diatoms (​Chaetoceros gracilis​) in
plastic tanks of aerated running seawater at
13.5–19.3°C for 8 weeks.
Field trials in fishing grounds ​Field trials were
conducted to monitor the mortality and the
occurrence of histological lesions and viral particles
in healthy sentinel pen shells, ​A. lischkeana​,
transplanted into two fishing grounds (A and B) in
Ariake Bay from January to September 2004. Mass
mortalities of pen shells had previously often
occurred in this area of Ariake Bay. Thirty shellfish
per cage (1m x 1m) were placed on the seabed in
order to prevent predation by crabs and rays. Two
cages of shellfish were used to monitor mortality
rates and a further four were used to collect samples
for histological examination. Shellfish mortality data
was recorded every two
weeks and histological samples were collected
approximately every 4 weeks. In addition, ex-
amination for the presence of viral particles was
performed in both fishing grounds. For histological
examination, 4-μm sections were processed
according to standard techniques and stained with
Mayer’s hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). For the
presence of viral particles, the gills and kidneys of
pen shells were fixed, and then dehydrated in
ethanol, and embedded in resin. Sections were
stained with 1% uranyl acetate and 1% lead citrate,
and examined using an electron microscope
(JEOL-100S).
Results ​Experimental infection in the
laboratory ​In the experimental groups, mortality
was only found in a single pen shell injected with the
infected kidney at 4 weeks p.i. Thereaf- ter, one shell
died at each of weeks 5, 6, and 8 p.i., resulting in a
cumulative mortality of 20% (4/20). No mortality
was observed in the experi- mental groups inoculated
with infected gills or in the control groups. The
 histological changes in tissues following
experimental infection are summarized in Table 1. In
both experimental groups at 4, 6, and 8 weeks p.i.,
necrosis was observed in the epithelial cells of the
gills. In the kidney of the experimental groups,
necrosis and degeneration of the epithelial cells was
observed at 6 weeks p.i. However, there were no
lesions in the mantle, adductor muscle, or digestive
gland in either inoculated groups. Furthermore, in the
control groups, there were no histopathological
changes in any of the tissues examined. At 4 weeks
p.i., many viral particles were observed in the
cytoplasm of renal epithelial cells and the gill
epithelial cells (Figure 1) of all shellfish examined in
both experimental groups (Table 2). These appeared
Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol., 32(3) 2012, 81

Table 1. ​Histopathological changes in experimentally infected pen shells ​Atrina lischkeana.​

Mantle Kidney Adductor Gill Digestive gland Experimental

Group ​Inoculate with infected gill 4​ weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(2/5) -(0/5) 6 weeks p. i. -(0/5) +(2/5)
-(0/5) +(3/5) -(0/5) 8 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(4/5) -(0/5)

Inoculate with infected kidney ​4 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(3/5) -(0/5) 6 weeks p. i. -(0/5)
+(1/5) -(0/5) +(2/5) -(0/5) 8 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(4/5) -(0/5)

Control Group ​Inoculate with healthy gill ​4 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) 6 weeks p. i.
-(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) 8 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5)

Inoculate with healthy kidney 4​ weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) 6 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5)
-(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) 8 weeks p. i. -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5)

Results are given as number of shellfish with histological lesions in various tissues/number of shellfish examined in
parentheses.

Table 2. ​Detection of viral particles in the kidneys and gills of experimentally infected pen shells ​Atrina lischkeana ​at 4
weeks post-infection.

Kidney Gill
Experimental Group ​Inoculated with infected gill +(5/5) +(5/5) Inoculated with infected kidney
+(5/5) +(5/5)

Control Group ​Inoculated with healthy gill -(0/5) -(0/5) Inoculated with healthy kidney -(0/5) -(0/5)

Results are given as number of shellfish with viral particles in the gills or kidneys/number of shellfish examined in
parentheses.
 82, Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol., 32(3) 2012
Field trials in fishing grounds ​The cumulative
mortality of infected shells 8 months post-transfer to
fishing grounds A and B was 80% and 100%,
respectively. Severe necrosis in the epithelial cells of
the gill was constantly observed from May to
September in both fishing grounds A and B (Table
3). In the kidney and mantle, histological lesions
were seen but not severe from February to
September. Viral particles were observed in the gills
of all pen shells examined in fishing ground A in
April and May and in fishing ground B in February
and March (Figure 2). The morphology of the viral
particles found in both fishing grounds was identical,
and was also identical to that observed in the
experimentally infected pen shells.

Discussion ​Mass mortalities of bivalves in capture

to be free in the cytoplasm, icosahedral spherical in
shape without an envelope, and 50 to 55 nm in
diameter. The morphological characteristics of these
viral particles bore a close resemblance to those of
the inoculum.
Figure 1. ​Viral particles in the cytoplasm of gill epithelial cells of an experimentally infected pen shell ​Atrina lischkeana
at 4 weeks post-inoculation. Scale bar = 500 nm.
fisheries as well as in culture have been described for
various kinds of shellfish and these events have
resulted in significant financial losses to farmers. The
causative factors contributing to the mass mortalities
in bivalves have been identified as environmental
stress, genetic traits as well as diseases. High
mortality rates associated with viral pathogens have
been reported in various bivalve species (Renault and
Novoa, 2004). A herpes virus was first detected in
adult eastern oysters (​Crassostrea virginica)​ in
USA
Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol., 32(3) 2012, 83

Table 3. ​Histopathological changes in the tissues of pen shells ​Atrina lischkeana ​used in the transplant trial.

Mantle Kidney Adductor Gill Digestive gland Fishing ground A ​April

+(1/5) +(2/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) May +(1/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(2/5) -(0/5) June +(1/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(3/5) -(0/5)
July +(4/5) +(1/5) -(0/5) +(5/5) -(0/5) August +(4/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(5/5) -(0/5) September +(1/5) -(0/5)
-(0/5) +(4/5) -(0/5)

Fishing ground B ​February -(0/5) +(1/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) March +(1/5) +(2/5) -(0/5) +(4/5) -(0/5)
May +(3/5) +(2/5) -(0/5) +(4/5) -(0/5) June +(1/5) +(3/5) -(0/5) +(4/5) -(0/5) July +(1/5) -(0/5) -(0/5)
+(5/5) -(0/5) August -(0/5) -(0/5) -(0/5) +(5/5) -(0/5) September +(1/5) +(1/5) -(0/5) +(5/5) -(0/5)

Results are given as number of shellfish with histological lesions in various tissues/number of shellfish examined in
parentheses.
gills play an important role in feeding as well as in
espiration (Gosling, 2003). Yurimoto et al. (2008)
(Farley et al., 1972), and in the spats and larvae of eported that the histological changes
farmed Japanese oyster, ​C. gigas ​(Nicholas et al., 84, Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol., 32(3) 2012
1992; Renault et al., 2001). Furthermore, mass
mortalities associated with the presence of a virus
have been described in other bivalves, including
clams (Novoa and Figueras, 2000), cockles
(Carballal et al., 2003), scallops (Hine and Wesney,
1997), mussels (Jones et al., 1996), and pearl oysters
(Comps et al., 1999). In ​C. gigas​, pathogenicity of
the herpes virus was demonstrated by experimental
infection (Le Deuff et al., 1994). However, there is li
le knowledge on the relationship between patho-
genicity and viral infection.

In the present study, histological features of the

kidneys and gills of experimentally infected
pen shells and of those in sentinel pen shells
monitored in field trials resembled the histologi- cal
features previously observed in naturally infected
pen shells in fishing grounds (Maeno et al., 2006).
Furthermore, the morphological characteristics of
viral particles found in both the experimentally
infected bivalves and the pen shells investigated in
the field trials were similar to those observed in
moribund pen shells col- lected during a mass
mortality event in natural beds (Maeno et al., 2006).
These results clearly suggest that the histological
lesions could be a ributable to the presence of viral
particles in the organs of pen shells. In bivalves, the
 organs reflected the reduced feeding activity of the
pen shells. In the experimental infections conducted
in the present study, severe lesions were found in the
gills of both virus-inoculated groups, which is
consistent with the findings of Yurimoto et al.
(2008).

However, the difference in mortality rate between the

pen shells investigated in the field trials in fishing
grounds and those experimen- tally infected in the
laboratory cannot be fully explained. In the case of
marine birnaviruses, although the pathogenicity of
some strains appears to be weak, physiological
status, such
as spawning, and changes in water temperature can
enhance host susceptibility and result in mortality in
clams and pearl oyster (Chou et al., 1994; Suzuki et
al., 1998).

Although the virus observed in the pen shells is

probably involved in the etiology of the pathological
conditions, the pathogenicity of the virus does not
appear to be strong. Accord- ingly, the high mortality
recorded in the field trials might be a ributable to
other synergistic effects, involving factors such as a
poor ambient environment including the occurrence
of hypoxia and red tides and/or physiological
stressors, which promote disease progression by
and the decrease in nutrient availability in these
Figure 2. ​Viral particles in the cytoplasm of gill epithelial cells of a pen shell ​Atrina lischkeana ​used in the transplant trial
on March 2004. Scale bar = 1 μm.
bserved
Bull.viral
Eur.particles
Ass. FishinPathol.,
the mortality
32(3) 2012,
of pen85
shells.
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2​ 5​, 143-149.

Kawahara I and Ito S (2003). Mortality of pen-

weakening the immune system. In the summer of
hells, ​Atrina pectinata ​in northeast part fishery of
2004, a red tide occurred in Ariake Bay, and,
Ariake Sound in summer, 2000 and 2001. I.
subsequently, severe hypoxia occurred in the waters
Occurrence of mortality. ​Bulletin of Saga
nearby the area used for the field trials in the present
Prefectural Ariake Fishery Research and
study (unpublished data). Con- sequently, further
Development Center ​21​, 7-13.
studies are required to clarify the involvement of the
 mussel mortalities in New Zealand.
Kurosumi T (2000). “​Marine Mollusks in Japan.​”
Le Deuff RM, Nicolas JL, Renault T and Cochennec
(T. Okutani, ed.), Tokai University Press, Tokyo, p
N (1994). Experimental transmission of a herpes-like
887-889.
virus to axenic larvae of Pacific oyster ​Crassostrea
gigas.​ ​Bulletin of the European Association of
Acknowledgements ​This study was supported by
Fish Pathologists 1​ 4​, 69-72.
funds of Fisheries Research Agency (FRA), Japan.
Maeno Y, Yurimoto T, Nasu H, Ito S, Aishima N,
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