Manganese is an additional cation that enhances colonial phase variation of Vibrio vulnificus. Issue 5 (7th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kaluskar, Zelam M.; Garrison‐Schilling, Katherine L.; McCarter, Kevin S.; Lambert, Bliss; Simar, Shelby R.; Pettis, Gregg S.
• Is Part Of: Environmental microbiology reports. Volume 7:Issue 5(2015)
• Page Start: 789
• Page End: 794
• Publication Date: 2015-08-07
• Subjects: Microbial ecology -- Periodicals; Environmental Microbiology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 579.17
• DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12318
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1758-2229

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <italic>V</italic> <italic>ibrio vulnificus</italic>, an inhabitant of marine and estuarine environments around the world, is the leading cause of reported seafood‐related deaths in the United States. Disease is caused by opaque colony‐forming strains that produce capsular polysaccharide, loss of which results in an unencapsulated translucent phenotype with diminished virulence potential. Rugose is a third phenotypic variant of <italic>V</italic><italic>. vulnificus</italic>, and produces a separate exopolysaccharide that results in a dry, wrinkled appearance and the ability to form profuse biofilms. Phase variation among these three phenotypes is influenced by several environmental factors, including the presence of calcium in the medium (Garrison‐Schilling <italic>et al</italic>.). In this study, we have identified a second cation, manganese, which substantially increases the propensity of opaque <italic>V</italic><italic>. vulnificus</italic> strains to switch to translucent or rugose phenotypes. In comparative studies, manganese and calcium promoted switching to the same phenotype for some strains but to different phenotypes for others, results of which indicate that the two cations do not always promote the same changes in underlying gene expression. The data here provide further evidence that exposure of <italic>V</italic><italic>. vulnificus</italic> to select cations results in phenotypic changes that impact both virulence capacity and ecology of the organism.</p> </abstract>