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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2003, p. 3170-3175, Vol. 69, No. 6
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.6.3170-3175.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Intraspecific Diversity of Vibrio vulnificus in Galveston Bay Water and Oysters as Determined by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA PCR

Meilan Lin,1,{dagger} Deborah A. Payne,2 and John R. Schwarz1*

Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77551,1 Department of Pathology and Otolaryngology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 775552

Received 25 November 2002/ Accepted 24 March 2003

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR was used to analyze the temporal and spatial intraspecific diversity of 208 Vibrio vulnificus strains isolated from Galveston Bay water and oysters at five different sites between June 2000 and June 2001. V. vulnificus was not detected during the winter months (December through February). The densities of V. vulnificus in water and oysters were positively correlated with water temperature. Cluster analysis of RAPD PCR profiles of the 208 V. vulnificus isolates revealed a high level of intraspecific diversity among the strains. No correlation was found between the intraspecific diversity among the isolates and sampling site or source of isolation. After not being detected during the winter months, the genetic diversity of V. vulnificus strains first isolated in March was 0.9167. Beginning in April, a higher level of intraspecific diversity (0.9933) and a major shift in population structure were observed among V. vulnificus isolates. These results suggest that a great genetic diversity of V. vulnificus strains exists in Galveston Bay water and oysters and that the population structure of this species is linked to changes in environmental conditions, especially temperature.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 5007 Ave. U, Galveston, TX 77551. Phone: (409) 740-4453. Fax: (409) 740-4787. E-mail: schwarzj{at}tamug.tamu.edu.

{dagger} Present address: Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Houston, TX 77030.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2003, p. 3170-3175, Vol. 69, No. 6
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.6.3170-3175.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Warner, E., Oliver, J. D. (2008). Population Structures of Two Genotypes of Vibrio vulnificus in Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and Seawater. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 80-85 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Randa, M. A., Polz, M. F., Lim, E. (2004). Effects of Temperature and Salinity on Vibrio vulnificus Population Dynamics as Assessed by Quantitative PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 5469-5476 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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