O-antigen diversity and lateral transfer of the wbe region among Vibrio splendidus isolates
Author(s)
Wildschutte, Hans; Preheim, Sarah Pacocha; Hernandez, Yasiel; Polz, Martin F.
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The O-antigen is a highly diverse structure expressed on the outer surface of Gram-negative bacteria. The products responsible for O-antigen synthesis are encoded in the wbe region, which exhibits extensive genetic diversity. While heterogeneous O-antigens are observed within Vibrio species, characterization of these structures has been devoted almost exclusively to pathogens. Here, we investigate O-antigen diversity among coastal marine Vibrio splendidus-like isolates. The wbe region was first identified and characterized using the sequenced genomes of strains LGP32, 12B01 and Med222. These regions were genetically diverse, reflective of their expressed O-antigen. Additional isolates from physically distinct habitats in Plum Island Estuary (MA, USA), including within animal hosts and on suspended particles, were further characterized based on multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and O-antigen profiles. Results showed serotype diversity within an ecological setting. Among 48 isolates which were identical in three MLSA genes, 41 showed gpm genetic diversity, a gene closely linked to the wbe locus, and at least 12 expressed different O-antigen profiles further suggesting wbe genetic diversity. Our results demonstrate O-antigen hyper-variability among these environmental strains and suggest that frequent lateral gene transfer generates wbe extensive diversity among V. splendidus and its close relatives.
Date issued
2010-11Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringJournal
Environmental Microbiology
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing
Citation
Wildschutte, H., Preheim, S. P., Hernandez, Y. and Polz, M. F. (2010), O-antigen diversity and lateral transfer of the wbe region among Vibrio splendidus isolates. Environmental Microbiology, 12: 2977–2987. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02274.x
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
1462-2920