Draft Genome Sequence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus PSU5579, Isolated during an Outbreak of Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease in Thailand.

Here, we announce the draft genome sequence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain PSU5579, isolated from a shrimp hatchery in southern Thailand during an outbreak of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND). The genome contains 44 contigs with a sequence length of 5,229,426 bp, 4,861 coding sequences, and a G+C content of 45.3%.

The Probiotic Bacterium Phaeobacter inhibens Downregulates Virulence Factor Transcription in the Shellfish Pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus by N-Acyl Homoserine Lactone Production.

Phaeobacter inhibens S4Sm acts as a probiotic bacterium against the oyster pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus Here, we report that P. inhibens S4Sm secretes three molecules that downregulate the transcription of major virulence factors, metalloprotease genes, in V. coralliilyticus cultures. The effects of the S4Sm culture supernatant on the transcription of three genes involved in protease activity, namely, vcpA, vcpB, and vcpR (encoding metalloproteases A and B and their transcriptional regulator, respectively), were examined by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression of vcpB and vcpR were reduced to 36% and 6.6%, respectively, compared to that in an untreated control. We constructed a V. coralliilyticus green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter strain to detect the activity of inhibitory compounds. Using a bioassay-guided approach, the molecules responsible for V. coralliilyticus protease inhibition activity were isolated from S4Sm supernatant and identified as three N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). The three AHLs are N-(3-hydroxydecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, N-(dodecanoyl-2,5-diene)-l-homoserine lactone, and N-(3-hydroxytetradecanoyl-7-ene)-l-homoserine lactone, and their half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) against V. coralliilyticus protease activity were 0.26 µM, 3.7 µM, and 2.9 µM, respectively. Our qRT-PCR data demonstrated that exposures to the individual AHLs reduced the transcription of vcpR and vcpB Combinations of the three AHLs (any two or all three AHLs) on V. coralliilyticus produced additive effects on protease inhibition activity. These AHL compounds may contribute to the host protective effects of S4Sm by disrupting the quorum sensing pathway that activates protease transcription of V. coralliilyticusIMPORTANCE Probiotics represent a promising alternative strategy to control infection and disease caused by marine pathogens of aquaculturally important species. Generally, the beneficial effects of probiotics include improved water quality, control of pathogenic bacteria and their virulence, stimulation of the immune system, and improved animal growth. Previously, we isolated a probiotic bacterium, Phaeobacter inhibens S4Sm, which protects oyster larvae from Vibrio coralliilyticus RE22Sm infection. We also demonstrated that both antibiotic secretion and biofilm formation play important roles in S4Sm probiotic activity. Here, we report that P. inhibens S4Sm, an alphaproteobacterium and member of the Roseobacter clade, also secretes secondary metabolites that hijack the quorum sensing ability of V. coralliilyticus RE22Sm, suppressing virulence gene expression. This finding demonstrates that probiotic bacteria can exert their host protection by using a multipronged array of behaviors that limit the ability of pathogens to become established and cause infection.

Draft Genome Sequence of Bowmanella denitrificans JL63, a Bacterium Isolated from Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) That Can Inhibit the Growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Bowmanella denitrificans strain JL63 was isolated from a whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and was determined to have antibacterial activity against an acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain and identify genes that are potentially involved in its antibacterial activity.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation in Vibrio anguillarum results in virulence attenuation and immunoprotection in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

BACKGROUND: Vibrio anguillarum is an extracellular bacterial pathogen that is a causative agent of vibriosis in finfish and crustaceans with mortality rates ranging from 30% to 100%. Mutations in central metabolism (glycolysis and the TCA cycle) of intracellular pathogens often result in attenuated virulence due to depletion of required metabolic intermediates; however, it was not known whether mutations in central metabolism would affect virulence in an extracellular pathogen such as V. anguillarum. RESULTS: Seven central metabolism mutants were created and characterized with regard to growth in minimal and complex media, expression of virulence genes, and virulence in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Only the isocitrate dehydrogenase (icd) mutant was attenuated in virulence against rainbow trout challenged by either intraperitoneal injection or immersion. Further, the icd mutant was shown to be immunoprotective against wild type V. anguillarum infection. There was no significant decrease in the expression of the three hemolysin genes detected by qRT-PCR. Additionally, only the icd mutant exhibited a significantly decreased growth yield in complex media. Growth yield was directly related to the abundance of glutamate. A strain with a restored wild type icd gene was created and shown to restore growth to a wild type cell density in complex media and pathogenicity in rainbow trout. CONCLUSIONS: The data strongly suggest that a decreased growth yield, resulting from the inability to synthesize α-ketoglutarate, caused the attenuation despite normal levels of expression of virulence genes. Therefore, the ability of an extracellular pathogen to cause disease is dependent upon the availability of host-supplied nutrients for growth. Additionally, a live vaccine strain could be created from an icd deletion strain.

Reclassification of the larval pathogen for marine bivalves Vibrio tubiashii subsp. europaeus as Vibrio europaeus sp. nov.

The Orientalis clade has a relevant significance for bivalve aquaculture since it includes the pathogens Vibrio bivalvicida, Vibrio tubiashii subsp. tubiashii and Vibrio tubiashii subsp. europaeus. However, the previous taxonomic description of the subspecies of V. tubiashii shows some incongruities that should be emended. In the genomic age, the comparison between genome assemblies is the key to clarify the taxonomic position of both subspecies. With this purpose, we have tested the ability of multilocus sequence analysis based on eight housekeeping gene sequences (gapA, gyrB, ftsZ, mreB, pyrH, recA, rpoA and topA), different in silico genome-to-genome comparisons, chemotaxonomic features and phenotypic traits to reclassify the subspecies V. tubiashii subsp. europaeus within the Orientalis clade. This polyphasic approach clearly demonstrated that this subspecies is phylogenetically and phenotypically distinct from V. tubiashii and should be elevated to the rank of species as Vibrio europaeus sp. nov. This reclassification allows us to update the Orientalis clade (V. bivalvicida,V. brasiliensis, V. crosai, V. hepatarius, V. orientalis, V. sinaloensis, V. tubiashii and V. europaeus sp. nov.) and reconstruct a better phylogeny of the genus Vibrio. An emended description of V. tubiashii is provided. Finally, the proposed novel species is represented by emergent bivalve pathogens [type strain PP-638T (=CECT 8136T=DSM 27349T), PP2-843 and 07/118 T2] responsible for high mortalities in Spanish and French hatcheries.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Emerging Bivalve Pathogen Vibrio tubiashii subsp. europaeus.

Vibrio tubiashii subsp. europaeus is a bivalve pathogen isolated during episodes of mortality affecting larval cultures in different shellfish hatcheries. Here, we announce the draft genome sequence of the type strain PP-638 and describe potential virulence factors, which may provide insight into the mechanism of pathogenicity.

Draft Genome Sequence of the New Pathogen for Bivalve Larvae Vibrio bivalvicida.

Vibrio bivalvicidais a novel pathogen of bivalve larvae responsible for recent vibriosis outbreaks affecting shellfish hatcheries. Here, we announce the draft genome sequence ofV. bivalvicida605(T)and describe potential virulence factors.

Following the infection process of vibriosis in Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) larvae through GFP-tagged pathogenic Vibrio species.

Vibriosis represents the main bottleneck for the larval production process in shellfish aquaculture. While the signs of this disease in bivalve larvae are well known, the infection process by pathogenic Vibrio spp. during episodes of vibriosis has not been elucidated. To investigate the infection process in bivalves, the pathogens of larvae as V. tubiashii subsp. europaensis, V. neptunius and V. bivalvicida were tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Larvae of Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) were inoculated with the GFP-labeled pathogens in different infection assays and monitored by microscopy. Manila clam larvae infected by distinct GFP-tagged Vibrio spp. in different challenges showed the same progression in the infection process, defining three infection stages. GFP-tagged Vibrio spp. were filtered by the larvae through the vellum and entered in the digestive system through the esophagus and stomach and colonized the digestive gland and particularly the intestine, where they proliferated during the first 2h of contact (Stage I), suggesting a chemotactic response. Then, GFP-tagged Vibrio spp. expanded rapidly to the surrounding organs in the body cavity from the dorsal to ventral region (Stage II; 6-8h), colonizing the larvae completely at the peak of infection (Stage III) (14-24h). Results demonstrated for the first time that the vibriosis is asymptomatic in Manila clam larvae during the early infection stages. Thus, the early colonization and the rapid proliferation of Vibrio pathogens within the body cavity supported the sudden and fatal effect of the vibriosis, since the larvae exhibited the first signs of disease when the infection process is advanced. As a first step in the elucidation of the potential mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis in bivalve larvae the enzymatic activities of the extracellular products released from the wild type V. neptunius, V. tubiashii subsp. europaensis and V. bivalvicida were determined and their cytotoxicity was demonstrated in fish and homeothermic cell lines for the first time. That activity was lost after heat treatment.

H-NS is a negative regulator of the two hemolysin/cytotoxin gene clusters in Vibrio anguillarum.

Hemolysins produced by Vibrio anguillarum have been implicated in the development of hemorrhagic septicemia during vibriosis, a fatal fish disease. Previously, two hemolysin gene clusters responsible for the hemolysis and cytotoxicity of V. anguillarum were identified: the vah1-plp gene cluster and the rtxACHBDE gene cluster. In this study, we identified the hns gene, which encodes the H-NS protein and acts as a negative regulator of both gene clusters. The V. anguillarum H-NS protein shares strong homology with other bacterial H-NS proteins. An hns mutant exhibited increased hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity compared to the wild-type strain. Complementation of the hns mutation restored hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity levels to nearly wild-type levels. Furthermore, expression of rtxA, rtxH, rtxB, vah1, and plp increased in the hns mutant and decreased in the hns-complemented mutant strain compared to expression in the wild-type strain. Additionally, experiments using DNase I showed that purified recombinant H-NS protected multiple sites in the promoter regions of both gene clusters. The hns mutant also exhibited significantly attenuated virulence against rainbow trout. Complementation of the hns mutation restored virulence to wild-type levels, suggesting that H-NS regulates many genes that affect fitness and virulence. Previously, we showed that HlyU is a positive regulator of expression for both gene clusters. In this study, we demonstrate that upregulation by hlyU is hns dependent, suggesting that H-NS acts to repress or silence both gene clusters and HlyU acts to relieve that repression or silencing.