Integration of Vibrio vulnificus into Marine Aggregates and Its Subsequent Uptake by Crassostrea virginica Oysters

Abstract

ABSTRACTMarine aggregates are naturally forming conglomerations of larvacean houses, phytoplankton, microbes, and inorganics adhered together by exocellular polymers. In this study, we showin vitrothat the bacterial pathogenVibrio vulnificuscan be concentrated into laboratory-generated aggregates from surrounding water. We further show that environmental (E-genotype) strains exhibit significantly more integration into these aggregates than clinical (C-genotype) strains. Experiments where marine aggregates with attachedV. vulnificuscells were fed to oysters (Crassostrea virginica) resulted in greater uptake of both C and E types than nonaggregated controls. When C- and E-genotype strains were cocultured in competitive experiments, the aggregated E-genotype strains exhibited significantly greater uptake by oyster than the C-genotype strains.