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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 1 - 25 of 246

  1. The combination of high temperature and Vibrio infection worsens summer mortality in the clam Meretrix petechialis by increasing apoptosis and oxidative stress

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • The interaction between environmental factors and Vibrio in bivalves is not well understood, despite the widely held belief that pathogen infection and seawater temperature significantly impact summer mortality. In the present study, we conducted simulated experiments to explore the effects of high temperature and Vibrio infection on the clam Meretrix petechialis.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  2. Comparative transcriptome analysis of hepatopancreas reveals the potential mechanism of shrimp resistant to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Vibrio parahaemolyticus carrying a pathogenic plasmid (VPAHPND) is one of the main causative agents of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in shrimp aquaculture. Knowledge about the mechanism of shrimp resistant to VPAHPND is very helpful for developing efficient strategy for breeding AHPND resistant shrimp.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  3. Transcriptome analysis of digestive diverticula of Hong Kong oyster (Crassostrea hongkongesis) infected with Vibrio harveyi

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • The Hong Kong oyster (Crassostrea hongkongesis), as the main marine aquaculture shellfish in the South China Sea, not only has high economic and ecological value, but also is an ideal model for conducting research on pathogen host interaction. However, diseases caused by Vibrio pose a serious impediment to the culture of Chongkongesis.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  4. Evidence that fish death after Vibrio vulnificus infection is due to an acute inflammatory response triggered by a toxin of the MARTX family

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Vibrio vulnificus is an emerging zoonotic pathogen associated with fish farms that is capable of causing a hemorrhagic septicemia known as warm-water vibriosis. According to a recent transcriptomic and functional study, the death of fish due to vibriosis is more related to the inflammatory response of the host than to the tissue lesions caused by the pathogen. In this work, we hypothesize that the RtxA1 toxin (a V.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  5. Effects of β-1,3-glucan on growth, immune responses, and intestinal microflora of the river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) and its resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus

  6. TBBPA and lead co-exposure induces grass carp liver cells apoptosis via ROS/JAK2/STAT3 signaling axis

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and lead (Pb) are widely used in industrial field, which poses a serious threat to human and animal health. In particular, a large volume of wastewater containing TBBPA and Pb was discharged into the aquatic environment, causing a seriously negative impact on fish. Currently, whether TBBPA and Pb have a synergistic toxicity on fish remains unclear.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  7. Effects of high stocking density on growth performance and expression of MyD88, and its temporal expression under the challenge of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the noble scallop Chlamys nobilis

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • High stocking density has been regarded as an adverse factor in bivalve aquaculture. However, its subsequent molecular response to pathogenic bacteria has been little studied.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  8. The effect of alginate oligosaccharides on intestine barrier function and Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections in the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • The intestine is a host-pathogen interaction site and improved intestinal barrier function help to prevent disease in shrimp. Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) are derived from resourceful brown algae. The intestine protection properties of AOS were widely recognized, and their benefits in fish have been reported. Nevertheless, there are no reports on AOS in shrimp and other crustaceans.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  9. Effects of diets rich in Agaricus bisporus polysaccharides on the growth, antioxidant, immunity, and resistance to Yersinia ruckeri in channel catfish

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • To promote the application of Agaricus bisporus polysaccharides (ABPs) in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) culture, we evaluated the effects of ABP

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Yersinia
  10. The Hippo-Yki pathway downstream transcription factor Scalloped negatively regulates immune defense against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in shrimp

  11. The first reporting of prevalence Vibrio species and expression of HSP genes in rayed pearl oyster (Pinctada radiata) under thermal conditions

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the influence of thermal exposure on Vibrio population and HSP genes expression (HSP 90, HSP70, and HSP20) in rayed pearl oyster (P. radiata). To this end, the oysters were reared for 30 days at temperatures of 22 °C (control), 25 °C, 27 °C, and 29 °C. The results showed that five dominate Vibrio strains including Vibrio hepatariusV. harveyiV.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  12. Molecular mechanisms underlying the vulnerability of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) to Vibrio harveyi infection at higher water temperature

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Climate change is one of the most important threats to farmed abalone worldwide. Although abalone is more susceptible to vibriosis at higher water temperatures, the molecular mode of action underlying this has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to address the high susceptibility of Halitotis discus hannai to V.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  13. Adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) negatively regulates the immunity and resistance to Vibrio alginolyticus of white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Shrimp immunology is vital in establishing prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for controlling pathological problems that threaten shrimp production. Apart from dietary treatments, the adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important regulatory enzyme that restores cellular energy balance during metabolic and physiological stress, is known to have therapeutic potential to improve shrimp's defense mechanism.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  14. Using bait microalga as an oral delivery vehicle of antimicrobial peptide for controlling Vibrio infection in mussels

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • In shellfish aquaculture, antibiotics are commonly used to address Vibrio infections. However, antibiotic abuse has increased the risk of environment pollution, which has also raised food safety concerns. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered safe and sustainable alternatives to antibiotics. Hence, in this study, we aimed to develop a transgenic Tetraselmis subcordiformis line harboring AMP-PisL9K22WK for reducing the use of antibiotics in mussel aquaculture.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  15. Potential roles of IFI44 genes in high resistance to Vibrio in hybrids of Argopecten scallops

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Vibrio bacteria are often fatal to aquatic organisms and selection of Vibrio-resistant strains is warranted for aquaculture animals. In this study, we found that hybrids between bay scallops and Peruvian scallops exhibited significantly higher resistance to Vibrio challenge, but little is available on its mechanism.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  16. Characterization of TRAF genes and their responses to Vibrio anguillarum challenge in Argopecten scallops

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • The tumor necrosis factor receptor-related factor (TRAF) family has been reported to be involved in many immune pathways, such as TNFR, TLR, NLR, and RLR in animals. However, little is known about the roles of TRAF genes in the innate immune of Argopecten scallops. In this study, we first identified five TRAF genes, including TRAF2, TRAF3, TRAF4, TRAF6 and TRAF7, but not TRAF1 and TRAF5, from both the bay scallop A.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  17. Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from kefir enhances immune responses and survival of white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) challenged with Vibrio alginolyticus

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Lactobacillus plantarum is known for its probiotics benefit to host, although the effects vary among strains.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  18. Transcriptome analysis of liver, gill and intestine in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) symptomatically or asymptomatically infected with Vibrio anguillarum

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), an important economic cold-water fish worldwide, is severely threatened by bacteria pathogens in the farming culture. The vibriosis outbreak has caused a significant setback to aquaculture. Vibrio anguillarum, one of the common disease-causing vibriosis associated with severe lethal vibriosis in aquaculture, infects fish mainly by adsorption and invasion of the skin, gills, lateral line and intestine.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  19. A novel type II crustin in the innate immune response of the freshwater crab (Sinopotamon henanense) against infection and its expression changes by cadmium

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Antibacterial peptide (AMP), an effector of the innate immune system, is an essential component of invertebrate innate immunity. Crustin is a family of antimicrobial peptides that are widely studied in crustaceans. Here we report a novel crustin (designated Shcrustin) from the freshwater crab Sinopotamon henanense.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  20. 3-Hydroxybutyrate helps crayfish resistant to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in versatile ways

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • The bacterial storage compound poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a potential bio-control agent in aquaculture. It has been reported that PHB benefit to the survival and growth, and improve their immunity of aquatic animals. However, the cellular and molecular regulation mechanisms of PHB in immunity process remain unclear. This study investigated the immune mechanism of hemocytes regulated by Halomonas-PHB (PHB-HM) and PHB monomer 3-HB.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  21. Transcriptome analysis of Pacific white shrimp (Liptopenaeus vannamei) after exposure to recombinant Vibrio parahaemolyticus PirA and PirB proteins

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in marine and estuarine environments and is endemic among the global shrimp aquaculture industry. V. parahaemolyticus proteins PirA and PirB have been determined to be major virulence factors that contribute significantly to the development of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  22. Dietary supplementation of Pseudoalteromonas piscicida 1UB and fructooligosaccharide enhance growth performance and protect the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) against WSSV and Vibrio harveyi coinfection

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • P. piscicida 1Ub and FOS were evaluated for their potential synbiotic effects on growth, immunological responses, and disease resistance against white spot syndrome virus and V. harveyi coinfection, the major pathogen in whiteleg shrimp aquaculture. Four different supplemented diets were used to feed the experimental shrimp for 40 days: control (control, no probiotic, and prebiotic), probiotic (PRO, P.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  23. Selected essential oil components fail to induce an immunological response in Artemia but still protect against vibriosis

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • In the present research, in order to screen out the best candidates from 12 different EOCs, we proposed three in vivo screening methods, namely the screening method of bioluminescence of V. campbellii associated with brine shrimp, regrowth performance of V. campbellii, and immune gene expression of brine shrimp without challenge. Our result showed that challenged with V.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  24. Astragalus polysaccharides protect against inactivated Vibrio alginolyticus-induced inflammatory injury in macrophages of large yellow croaker

  25. Melatonin alleviates lead-induced intestinal epithelial cell pyroptosis in the common carps (Cyprinus carpio) via miR-17-5p/TXNIP axis

    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology
    • Lead (Pb) has been concerned as one of the most severe hazardous contaminants, because it can cause pyroptosis in multiple tissues of mammals and birds. Melatonin (Mel) has attracted much interest for its role in governing intestinal injury via 

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals