Isolation, identification and immune response of the pathogen of Pelodiscus sinensis with head shaking disease

doi:10.14088/j.cnki.issn0439-8114.2026.06.027

Abstract

Abstract: Head shaking disease posed a significant threat to the aquaculture of Pelodiscus sinensis, yet its etiology remained unclear. This study aimed to identify the pathogen and investigate the host’s immune response. The pathogenic bacteria were isolation from diseased turtles and verified via 16S rDNA sequencing, and Koch’s postulates. The results showed that Bacillus cereus was the causative agent. Challenge assays confirmed that B. cereus infection induced the characteristic head shaking behavior, hepatic and splenic hemorrhage, and mortality, with the bacterium stably isolated from succumb hosts. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that the isolate was sensitive to cefixime and polymyxin B, but exhibited resistance to seven common antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, qPCR analysis revealed that 13 immune-related genes, particularly those associated with the complement system and interferon signaling pathways, were significantly up-regulated in the spleen tissue following infection. Gene regulatory network analysis suggested that a synergistic innate immune mechanism involving multiple pathways.

Key words: Pelodiscus sinensis, head shaking disease, Bacillus cereus, pathogen identification, immune response

CLC Number:

S947.1⁺2

ZHANG Xin, CAI Xiu-hong, YANG Mo, YUE Shi-rui, CHEN Zhang-xuan. Isolation, identification and immune response of the pathogen of Pelodiscus sinensis with head shaking disease[J]. HUBEI AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, 2026, 65(6): 166-173.

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