Genome sequence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus: a pathogenic mechanism distinct from that of V cholerae.
BACKGROUND
Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a gram-negative marine bacterium, is a worldwide cause of food-borne gastroenteritis. V parahaemolyticus strains of a few specific serotypes, probably derived from a common clonal ancestor, have lately caused a pandemic of gastroenteritis. The organism is phylogenetically close to V cholerae, the causative agent of cholera.


METHODS
The whole genome sequence of a clinical V parahaemolyticus strain RIMD2210633 was established by shotgun sequencing. The coding sequences were identified by use of Gambler and Glimmer programs. Comparative analysis with the V cholerae genome was undertaken with MUMmer.


RESULTS
The genome consisted of two circular chromosomes of 3288558 bp and 1877212 bp; it contained 4832 genes. Comparison of the V parahaemolyticus genome with that of V cholerae showed many rearrangements within and between the two chromosomes. Genes for the type III secretion system (TTSS) were identified in the genome of V parahaemolyticus; V cholerae does not have these genes.


CONCLUSIONS
The TTSS is a central virulence factor of diarrhoea-causing bacteria such as shigella, salmonella, and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, which cause gastroenteritis by invading or intimately interacting with intestinal epithelial cells. Our results suggest that V parahaemolyticus and V cholerae use distinct mechanisms to establish infection. This finding explains clinical features of V parahaemolyticus infections, which commonly include inflammatory diarrhoea and in some cases systemic manifestations such as septicaemia, distinct from those of V cholerae infections, which are generally associated with non-inflammatory diarrhoea.
Makino
Kozo
K
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
Oshima
Kenshiro
K
Kurokawa
Ken
K
Yokoyama
Katsushi
K
Uda
Takayuki
T
Tagomori
Kenichi
K
Iijima
Yoshio
Y
Najima
Masatomo
M
Nakano
Masayuki
M
Yamashita
Atsushi
A
Kubota
Yoshino
Y
Kimura
Shigenobu
S
Yasunaga
Teruo
T
Honda
Takeshi
T
Shinagawa
Hideo
H
Hattori
Masahira
M
Iida
Tetsuya
T
D002771:Cholera / Q000382:microbiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000235:genetics; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004270:DNA, Circular