Isolation and characterization of marine luminous bacteria from shallow coastal waters of Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
Marine luminous bacteria were isolated and identified from samples in shallow coastal waters of Taiwan during the relatively warm seasons.


METHODS
Identification of the luminous isolates was performed based on differences of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics together with data from phylogenetic analysis.


RESULTS
Twenty seven strains of marine luminous bacteria were isolated. They were divided into five types based on differences of phenotypic characteristics. However, they could be clustered into only two genotypes according to the analysis of restriction patterns of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16S rRNA genes digested with various restriction enzymes. The characterization data together with the 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolates included in phenotype I (seven isolates) could be Photobacterium leiognathi, and those included in phenotypes II-V (twenty isolates) might be classified as Vibrio harveyi. However, phylogeny based on gyrB sequences indicated that phenotypes II-V could be classified into two species, V. harveyi and Vibrio campbellii.


CONCLUSIONS
Culturable luminous bacteria in the shallow coastal waters of Taiwan during the sampling period are dominated by V. harveyi/campbellii and P. leiognathi, and the former species appeared to be more prevalent and numerous than the latter species in general.
Chiu
Hsiu Hui
HH
Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chou
Hsiao Hui
HH
Jean
Wen Dar
WD
Shieh
Wung Yang
WY
D001419:Bacteria; D010776:Photobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater; D013045:Species Specificity; D013624:Taiwan; D014871:Water Microbiology
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S