title: Relation between virulence of Vibrio anguillarum strains and response to the host factors mucin, bile salts and cholesterol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigated the responsiveness of 15 Vibrio anguillarum strains to three host factors (mucin, bile salts and cholesterol).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three virulence-related phenotypes were investigated in this respect, i.e. motility, biofilm formation and exopolysaccharide production. Almost all V. anguillarum strains showed a significantly increased motility in the presence of either of the three host factors. Only five of the strains showed increased biofilm formation in the presence of host factors and only three strains showed increased exopolysaccharide production in the presence of the host factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no significant correlations between the three putatively virulence-linked phenotypes (in the absence of host factors) and virulence to sea bass larvae. There was no correlation between responsiveness to the host factors (percentage increase in motility, biofilm formation or exopolysaccharide production in the presence of the three host factors) and virulence to sea bass larvae. However, the responses of these virulence-related phenotypes upon the addition of either of the three host factors were significantly correlated with each other. This result suggests that the mechanisms by which V. anguillarum responds to these three host factors is linked.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the mechanism by which V. anguillarum responds to the host factors mucin, bile salts and cholesterol seems to be linked, there is no correlation between host factor responsiveness and virulence towards sea bass larvae. This emphasizes that one should be careful when extrapolating results obtained for one particular strain to reach general conclusions on a species of pathogenic bacteria.
authors: Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Defoirdt
authors: Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Bossier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D014733:Vibrio / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D009077:Mucins; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: bile salts; cholesterol; host-pathogen interaction; mucin; virulence