Correlation of mannitol fermentation with virulence-associated genotypic characteristics in Vibrio vulnificus isolates from oysters and water samples in the Gulf of Mexico.
Vibrio vulnificus strains (n = 469) isolated from the Gulf of Mexico oysters and waters over a period of 2 years were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterizations. Of the strains that could be definitively genotyped (n = 465), 58% were classified as genotype A, 29% as genotype B, and 13% as genotype A/B by 16S rRNA genotyping. When the same strain bank was characterized by virulence-correlated gene (vcg) typing, 65% were genotype E while 35% were genotype C. Further analysis focusing on strains falling into typical genotype categories (i.e., 16S rRNA types A or B, excluding type A/B strains) showed a high degree of concordance (93%) when comparing the two genotyping methods. d-Mannitol fermentation was also predictive of genotype, with an 86% agreement between 16S rRNA genotype and mannitol fermentation patterns, and an 85% agreement between vcg genotype and mannitol fermentation patterns. d-Mannitol fermentation should be considered as a simple and less expensive alternative to screen V. vulnificus isolates for virulence potential, particularly when analyzing large strain banks.
Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA. sldrake@ncsu.edu
Stephenie L
SL
Drake
Brooke
B
Whitney
Jay F
JF
Levine
Angelo
A
DePaola
Lee-Ann
LA
Jaykus
D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D005838:Genotype; D008145:Louisiana; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism*; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017747:Seafood / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D008353:Mannitol