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Occurrence of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the coastal environment of southern Italy (Straits of Messina)
Author(s) -
Carbone M.,
Maugeri T.L.,
Gugliandolo C.,
La Camera E.,
Biondo C.,
Fera M.T.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2004.02517.x
Subject(s) - caga , biology , 16s ribosomal rna , helicobacter pylori , plankton , bacteria , polymerase chain reaction , environmental dna , microbiology and biotechnology , seawater , urea , gene , genetics , ecology , virulence , biochemistry , biodiversity
Aims: The occurrence of Helicobacter pylori in the coastal zone of the Straits of Messina (Italy) as free‐living and associated with plankton was studied. Methods and Results: Monthly sampling of seawater and plankton was carried out from April 2002 to March, 2003. All environmental samples analysed by cultural method, did not show the presence of H. pylori . The DNA extracted from all environmental samples was tested by PCR by using primers for H. pylori 16S rRNA, ure A and cag A. 16S rRNA PCR yielded amplified products of 522‐bp in 15 of 36 (41·7%) of the environmental samples. By using the ure A primers to amplify the urea signal sequences, the predicted PCR products of 491‐bp were obtained from eight (22·2%) of 36 environmental samples. PCR with cag A primers yielded amplified products of 349‐bp in DNA extracted of seven of 36 (19·4%) of the environmental samples. When 16S rRNA, ure A and cag A amplified gene sequences were aligned with H. pylori 26695 and J99 genome sequences, we obtained a percentage of alignment over 90%. Conclusions: The detection of H. pylori genes in marine samples allows us to consider the marine environment a possible reservoir for this pathogenic bacterium. Significance and Impact of the Study: The direct detection of H. pylori genes may be relevant in order to consider the marine environment as significant reservoir for this bacterium.