title: High genetic diversity of Vibrio cholerae in the European lake Neusiedler See is associated with intensive recombination in the reed habitat and the long-distance transfer of strains.
abstract: Coastal marine Vibrio cholerae populations usually exhibit high genetic diversity. To assess the genetic diversity of abundant V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 populations in the Central European lake Neusiedler See, we performed a phylogenetic analysis based on recA, toxR, gyrB and pyrH loci sequenced for 472 strains. The strains were isolated from three ecologically different habitats in a lake that is a hot-spot of migrating birds and an important bathing water. We also analyzed 76 environmental and human V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 isolates from Austria and other European countries and added sequences of seven genome-sequenced strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the lake supports a unique endemic diversity of V. cholerae that is particularly rich in the reed stand. Phylogenetic trees revealed that many V. cholerae isolates from European countries were genetically related to the strains present in the lake belonging to statistically supported monophyletic clades. We hypothesize that the observed phenomena can be explained by the high degree of genetic recombination that is particularly intensive in the reed stand, acting along with the long distance transfer of strains most probably via birds and/or humans. Thus, the Neusiedler See may serve as a bioreactor for the appearance of new strains with new (pathogenic) properties.
authors.affiliation: Medical University Vienna, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Vienna, Austria.|Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pretzer
authors.affiliation: Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Irina S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Druzhinina
authors.affiliation: ERI BioTecMed University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amaro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benediktsdóttir
authors.affiliation: Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hedenström
authors.affiliation: French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hervio-Heath
authors.affiliation: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Steliana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huhulescu
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Franciska M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Schets
authors.affiliation: Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.|Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water & Health, (www.waterandhealth.at), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Farnleitner
authors.affiliation: Medical University Vienna, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Vienna, Austria.|Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water & Health, (www.waterandhealth.at), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Alexander K T
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kirschner
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017753:Ecosystem; D005060:Europe; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification