Phenotypic characteristics and pathogenicity of Aeromonas genomospecies isolated from common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between the genomospecies, phenotypic profile and pathogenicity for carp of 37 motile Aeromonas strains.


RESULTS
Aeromonas strains were identified to genomospecies level by the 16S rDNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method and characterized phenotypically by the API 20E and API Zym systems and by conventional tube or plate methods. 16S rDNA RFLP analysis showed that the strains belonged to five species, Aeromonas bestiarum (5), Aerom. salmonicida (13), Aerom. veronii (11), Aerom. sobria (6) and Aerom. encheleia (2). Most strains of Aerom. bestiarum (80%) and Aerom. salmonicida (85%) could be separated by growth at 4 and 42 degrees C, autoagglutination after boiling, reaction for lipase (C14) and naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase. All strains of Aerom. veronii corresponded to Aerom. veronii biotype sobria and could be separated from Aerom. sobria by citrate utilization, growth at 37 and 42 degrees C, amygdalin and cellobiose fermentation. All strains of Aerom. bestiarum and most strains of Aerom. salmonicida (76.9%) and Aerom. veronii (63.6%) were pathogenic for carp.


CONCLUSIONS
The biochemical identification of carp Aeromonas strains is not entirely clear. Some association between Aeromonas species, phenotypic profile and specific disease signs was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The results will be useful for ichthyopathology laboratories in the diagnosis of motile aeromonad septicaemia in carp.
Kozińska
A
A
Department of Fish Disease, National Veterinary Research Institute, Putawy, Poland.
Figueras
M J
MJ
Chacon
M R
MR
Soler
L
L
D000333:Aeromonas / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps / Q000382:microbiology*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006483:Hemorrhagic Septicemia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D010641:Phenotype; D021521:Ribotyping; D013045:Species Specificity; D014774:Virulence