A unique and common restriction fragment pattern of the nucleotide sequences homologous to the genome of vf33, a filamentous bacteriophage, in pandemic strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 O4:K68, and O1:K untypeable.
Vf33 is a filamentous bacteriophage isolated from Vibrio parahaemolyticus. We performed Southern blot hybridization analysis to examine the distribution of Vf33-related genetic elements in the pandemic strains (O3:K6 strains isolated between 1995 and 1997, O4:K68 and O1:K untypeable strains isolated between 1997 and 1999) of V. parahaemolyticus. Nucleotide sequences homologous to the Vf33 DNA were detected in all 57 test strains including pandemic and non-pandemic strains. However, the profiles of hybridization, including the restriction fragment length polymorphism, with nine Vf33-derived DNA probes exhibited by the pandemic strains were identical and were different from those by the non-pandemic strains. The results support the hypothesis that the pandemic strains are clonal, and suggest a possibility that they have acquired (a) new gene(s) via a Vf33-like filamentous phage.
Chang
B
B
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Yoshida
S
S
Miyamoto
H
H
Ogawa
M
M
Horikawa
K
K
Ogata
K
K
Nishibuchi
M
M
Taniguchi
H
H
D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D006801:Humans; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004279:DNA, Viral