PulseNet USA standardized pulsed-field gel electrophoresis protocol for subtyping of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

PulseNet is a national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance composed of public health and food regulatory agencies. Participants employ molecular subtyping of foodborne pathogens using a standardized method of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for conducting laboratory-based surveillance of foodborne pathogens. The PulseNet standardized PFGE protocols are developed through a comprehensive testing process. The reproducibility of the protocol undergoes an internal evaluation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an external evaluation in multiple PulseNet laboratories. Here we describe the development and evaluation of a rapid PFGE protocol for subtyping Vibrio parahaemolyticus for use in PulseNet activities. The protocol was derived from the existing standardized PulseNet protocols for Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Vibrio cholerae. An external evaluation of this protocol was undertaken in collaboration with three PulseNet USA participating public health laboratories. Comparative analysis of the PFGE fingerprints generated by each of these laboratories demonstrated that the protocol is both reliable and reproducible in the hands of multiple users.

Aragonite crystallization in primary cell cultures of multicellular isolates from a hard coral, Pocillopora damicornis.

The foundation of marine coral reef ecosystems is calcium carbonate accumulated primarily by the action of hard corals (Coelenterata: Anthozoa: Scleractinia). Colonial hard coral polyps cover the surface of the reef and deposit calcium carbonate as the aragonite polymorph, stabilized into a continuous calcareous skeleton. Scleractinian coral skeleton composition and architecture are well documented; however, the cellular mechanisms of calcification are poorly understood. There is little information on the nature of the coral cell types involved or their cooperation in biocalcification. We report aragonite crystallization in primary cell cultures of a hard coral, Pocillopora damicornis. Cells of apical coral colony fragments were isolated by spontaneous in vitro dissociation. Single dissociated cell types were separated by density in a discontinuous Percoll gradient. Primary cell cultures displayed a transient increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, to the level observed in intact corals. In adherent multicellular isolate cultures, enzyme activation was followed by precipitation of aragonite. Modification of the ionic formulation of the medium prolonged maintenance of isolates, delayed ALP activation, and delayed aragonite precipitation. These results demonstrate that in vitro crystallization of aragonite in coral cell cultures is possible, and provides an innovative approach to investigate reef-building coral calcification at the cellular level.