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Detection of V ibrio parahaemolyticus , V ibrio vulnificus and V ibrio cholerae with respect to seasonal fluctuations in temperature and plankton abundance
Author(s) -
Turner Jeffrey W.,
Malayil Leena,
Guadagnoli Dominic,
Cole D.,
Lipp Erin K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12246
Subject(s) - copepod , biology , plankton , microbiology and biotechnology , vibrio parahaemolyticus , vibrio cholerae , abundance (ecology) , polymerase chain reaction , vibrio vulnificus , gene , ecology , bacteria , genetics , crustacean
Summary Over a 1‐year period, bi‐monthly estuarine surface water and plankton samples (63–200 and > 200 μm fractions) were assayed by polymerase chain reaction for the prevalence of total V ibrio parahaemolyticus , V . vulnificus and V . cholerae and select genes associated with clinical strains found in each species. Neither temperature nor plankton abundance was a significant correlate of total V . parahaemolyticus ; however, the prevalence of genes commonly associated with clinical strains ( trh , tdh , ORF 8) increased with temperature and copepod abundance ( P < 0.05). The prevalence of total V . vulnificus and the siderophore‐related viu B gene also increased with temperature and copepod and decapod abundance ( P < 0.001). Temperature and copepod abundance also covaried with the prevalence of V . cholerae ( P < 0.05), but there was no significant relationship with ctx A or other genes commonly found in clinical strains. Results show that genes commonly associated with clinical V ibrio strains were more frequently detected in association with chitinous plankton. We conclude that V . parahaemolyticus , V . vulnificus , V . cholerae and subpopulations that harbour genes common to clinical strains respond distinctly to seasonal changes in temperature as well as shifts in the taxonomic composition of discrete plankton fractions.