The ability of two different Vibrio spp. bacteriophages to infect Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio mimicus.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the host range of the Vibrio harveyi myovirus-like bacteriophage (VHML) and the cholera toxin conversion bacteriophage (CTX Phi) within a range of Vibrio cholerae and V. mimicus and V. harveyi, V. cholerae and V. mimicus isolates respectively.


RESULTS
Three V. harveyi, eight V. cholerae and five V. mimicus isolates were incubated with VHML and CTX Phi. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the presence of VHML and CTX Phi in infected isolates. We demonstrated that it was possible to infect one isolate of V. cholerae (isolate ACM #2773/ATCC #14035) with VHML. This isolate successfully incorporated VHML into its genome as evident by positive PCR amplification of the sequence coding part of the tail sheath of VHML. Attempts to infect all other V. cholerae and V. mimicus isolates with VHML were unsuccessful. Attempts to infect V. cholerae non-01, V. harveyi and V. mimicus isolates with CTX Phi were unsuccessful.


CONCLUSIONS
Bacteriophage infection is limited by bacteriophage-exclusion systems operating within bacterial strains and these systems appear to be highly selective. One system may allow the co-existence of one bacteriophage while excluding another. VHML appears to have a narrow host range which may be related to a common receptor protein in such strains. The lack of the vibrio pathogenicity island bacteriophage (VPI Phi) in the isolates used in this study may explain why infections with CTX Phi were unsuccessful.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study has demonstrated that Vibrio spp. bacteriophages may infect other Vibrio spp.
Payne
M
M
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Qld, Australia. m.payne@aims.gov.au
Oakey
J
J
Owens
L
L
D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012703:Serotyping; D014733:Vibrio / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D044164:Vibrio mimicus / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D002772:Cholera Toxin