Evaluation of genotypic and phenotypic methods to distinguish clinical from environmental Vibrio vulnificus strains.

ABSTRACT: Vibrio vulnificus is a heterogeneous bacterial species that comprises virulent and avirulent strains from environmental and clinical sources that have been grouped into three biotypes. To validate the typing methods proposed to distinguish clinical from environmental isolates, we performed phenotypic (API 20E, API 20NE, and BIOLOG tests) and genetic (ribotyping and DNA polymorphism at several loci) studies with a large strain collection representing different biotypes, origins, and host ranges. No phenotypic method was useful for biotyping or grouping strains with regard to the origin of an isolate, and only the BIOLOG system was reliable for identifying the strains at the species level. DNA polymorphisms divided the population into three major profiles. Profile 1 strains were vcg type C,

SUBMITTER: Sanjuan E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2655457 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature