• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2019

The seasonal and spatial variation of pathogenic Vibrio species, such as V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholerae were investigated in seawater and in bivalves off the Gyeongnam coast of Korea, which is an important area for shellfish production, during the period 2013-2016. V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholerae were detected in 12.1%, 5.2%, 15.4%, and 0.9% of seawater samples, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholera were detected in 21.9%, 7.1%, 12.2%, and 0.0% of shellfish samples, respectively. The Vibrio spp. in seawater and bivalve samples were detected at high levels during the summer to early autumn; however, the levels were low during the winter. Therefore, their occurrence was seasonally dependent and correlated with high water temperature, which is also the biggest factor contributing to foodborne outbreaks associated with Vibrio. Relatively high detection rates of the strains were also found in the sea area that was continually exposed to inland wastewater. Our findings show that continuous monitoring is needed to reveal the patterns of occurrence of these pathogens from marine samples collected off the Korean coast, to reduce seafood-borne outbreaks caused by Vibrio.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.555-559
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• 2013

Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 are the major serotypes associated with illness, and some V. cholera non-O1 and non-O139 isolates produce cholera toxin. The present study describes a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the species-specific detection and quantitation of V. cholera using a primer pair based on an outer membrane lipoprotein lolB gene for the amplification of a 195 bp DNA fragment. The qPCR primer set for the accurate diagnosis of V. cholera was developed from publically available genome sequences. This quantitative PCR-based method will potentially simplify and facilitate the diagnosis of this pathogen and guide disease management.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.725-731
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• 2014

The classical biotype strains of the Vibrio cholerae O1 serogroup harbor the biotype-specific cholera-toxin encoding phage (CTX) $CTX^{cla}$, and the El Tor biotype strains contain CTX-1. Although the classical biotype strains have become extinct, a remnant of classical CTX phage is transferred to the El Tor biotype strains. The prototype El Tor strains, which produce the biotype-specific cholera toxin, are now being replaced by atypical El Tor variant strains producing classical biotype cholera toxin. The genome sequences of the CTX phages in atypical El Tor strains indicate that the CTX phages in atypical El Tor strains are a mosaic of $CTX^{cla}$ and CTX-1. Before the emergence of atypical El Tor stains in the early 1990s, unusual pre-seventh pandemic strains were isolated in the US Gulf Coast between 1973 and 1986. These strains have characteristics of atypical El Tor strains since they are El Tor biotype strains containing $CTX^{cla}$, yet the genome sequence of this CTX phage indicates that it is different from $CTX^{cla}$ and is therefore classified separately as $CTX^{US\;Gulf}$.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.513-518
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• 1999

A total of 113 Vibrio sp. strains were examined for plasmid content which were subjected to digestion with restriction enzymes. About the 55% Vibrio spp. have the plasmid more than one. Most of these plasmid various derivatives ranged from $2.4\;kb{\sim}23\;kb$, especially two strains of V. mimicus and one strain of V. furnissii carried one high-molecular weight plasmid (molecular weight ranging between $70\;kb{\sim}100\;kb$). Results of restriction analysis for plasmid of this three strains were by no means the rule. For detection of tdh and ctx gene, the virulence factor involved in the pathogenesis, we carried out the TDH and CT assay, PCR amplification, and hybridization. A total 11 strains were produced TDH, involved in 9 strains of V. parahaemolyticus and 1 strain of V. alginolyticus from clinical isolates and 1 strains of V. mimicus from environmental isolates. In the experiments of tdh gene detection, in all, 3 strains of V. parahaemolyticus from clinical isolates and 2 strains from environmental isolates could be successfully amplified in 400 bp by PCR. The PCR results were consistent with DNA hybridization tests. In the experiments of CT assay, in all, 3 strains of V. cholerae from clinical isolate and 1 strain of V. cholerae from environmental isolates were observed CT-producing. These CT-producing strains amplified in 302 bp by PCR for the detection of ctx gene. All CT-producing strains hybridized with digoxigenin-labeled DNA probe, while CT-negative strains did not hybridize. Also hybridization tests results for detection of ctx gene consistent with PCR.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.114-120
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activities of chopping boards made of various materials such as three antibiotic plastics, a general plastic, and various woods (red pine, rubber tree, cypress, birch, and bamboo) using zone inhibition assay and real-time PCR. Wood chopping boards showed high antimicrobial activity against Vibrio vulnificus, while plastic chopping boards showed high antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus. Bamboo chopping board among the wood chopping boards showed the highest antimicrobial activity against five foodborne bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, Vibrio cholerae, and V. vulnificus. These results may be helpful in the selection of a chopping board with high antimicrobial activity and in the application of hygiene procedures for prevention of cross-contamination.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.178-182
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• 2002

The authors identified 68 Vibrio strains from Gwangan beach seawater from June to October in 2001. We identified them as 19 strains of Vibrio alginolyticus, 15 strains of V. vulnificus, 15 strains of V. parahaemolyticus, 11 strains of V. cholerae non O1, 7 strains of V. fluvialis and just one strain of V. hollisae. They showed their typical biochemical characteristics by API 20E kit (bioMerieux), respectively. It was examined whether their cultural supernatants had enzymatic activities such as hemolysin, protease or urease. The 46 strains showed hemolytic activities and/or protease activities. But we could not find any strain which had urease activity. All isolates of V. cholerae non O1 showed $\beta$ hemolysis. The others showed $\alpha$ hemolysis or did not show clear zones on sheep blood agar plates. These results of Kanagawa phenomenon were not always correspondant with hemolytic activities of cultural supernatants at late log phase. Some strains had higher hemolytic activities despite of showing protease activities on skim milk agar plates and in litmus milk media. On the other hand, some strains showed protease activities but did not show hemolytic activities. Therefore we could guess that there were the relationships between hemolysins and proteases produced by pathogenic vibrios.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 2018

Objectives: The pathogenic Vibrios genus denotes halophilic bacteria that are distributed in aquatic environments, including both sea and freshwater. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are the most important species since they can be potent human pathogens and leading causes of septicemia, wound infections, and seafood borne gastroenteritis. The recent emergence of a potential pandemic clone, V. cholera serotype O1 and the cholera outbreak in South Korea in 2016 indicates the importance of consistent surveillance of pathogenic Vibrio genus within coastal areas. Methods: The present study was undertaken to determine where and how vibrios live in the aquatic environment adjacent to coastal areas of South Korea. For this survey, a total of 838 samples were obtained at 35 different sites in South Korean coastal areas during the period from January 2016 to December 2016. Pathogenic vibrios was determined using the real-time PCR method, and its clones were isolated using three selective plating media. We also monitored changes in seawater and atmospheric temperature, salinity, turbidity, and hydrogen ion concentration at the collection points. Results: The total isolation rates of V. vulnificus, V. cholera (non-pathogenic, non-O1, non-O139 serogroups), and V. parahaemolyticus from seawater specimens in 2016 were 14.2, 13.48, and 67.06%, respectively. Conclusions: The isolation rates of pathogenic vibrios genus showed a positive correlation with temperature of seawater and atmosphere but were negatively correlated with salinity and turbidity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1760-1768
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• 2020

Vibrio cholerae, cause of the life-threatening diarrheal disease cholera, can be divided into different serogroups based on the structure of its lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which consists of lipid-A, core-polysaccharide and O-antigen polysaccharide (O-PS). The O1 serogroup, the predominant cause of cholera, includes two major serotypes, Inaba and Ogawa. These serotypes are differentiated by the presence of a single 2-O-methyl group in the upstream terminal perosamine of the Ogawa O-PS, which is absent in the Inaba O-PS. To ensure the consistent quality and efficacy of the current cholera vaccines, accurate measurement and characterization of each of these two serotypes is highly important. In this study, we efficiently screened a phage-displayed human synthetic Fab library by bio-panning against Ogawa LPS and finally selected three unique mAbs (D9, E11, and F7) that specifically react with Ogawa LPS. The mAbs bound to Vibrio cholerae vaccine in a dose-dependent fashion. Sequence and structure analyses of antibody paratopes suggest that IgG D9 might have the same fine specificity as that of the murine mAbs, which were shown to bind to the upstream terminal perosamine of Ogawa O-PS, whereas IgGs F7 and E11 showed some different characteristics in the paratopes. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate the generation of Ogawa-specific mAbs using phage display technology. The mAbs will be useful for identification and quantification of Ogawa LPS in multivalent V. cholerae vaccines.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2007

Cell number of Vibrio spp. was examined for the surface and bottom sea water harvested from the 9 stations in the Jeonam Archipelago Marine Ranching Ground in 2006～2007. Species population composition and dominant species were analyzed as well. The largest number of Vibrio spp. was detected in summer (June, 2007) among the 4 seasons with the surface and bottom sea water samples of 5.4～93.2 cfu㎖-1 and 1.0～53.1 cfu㎖-1. respectively. In winter (January, 2007), Vibrio spp. was not detected at all except that one station from which 0.2 cfu㎖-1 of Vibrio spp. was counted in the surface sea water sample. Cell numbers were 0～11.9 cfu㎖-1 and 0～8.3 cfu㎖-1, respectively, in the surface and bottom sea water samples retrieved in spring (April, 2007), and the corresponding sea water samples in autumn(November, 2006) were contaminated with 0.1～21.4 cfu㎖-1 and 0～2.9 cfu㎖-1, respectively. Species population composition of Vibrio spp. was found to be V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus and V. cholerae non-01 among which V. parahaemolyticus and V. alginolyticus were dominant in all seasons. V. alginolyticus was detected from all stations even in the winter season indicating that this species seems to be less temperature dependent than the other Vibrio spp..

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.361-366
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• 1997

To determine the physiological, biochemical characteristics and toxicity of hemolysin produced by a novel sucrose positive Vibrio (Vibrio sp. D5) isolated from estuary of Kum river, it was compared with already known sucrose positive Vibrio. Salinity, pH, temperature and conductivity of place where Vibrio sp. D5 was isolated were $4.7\%_{\circ},\;7.6,\;24^{\circ}C$ and $7800{\mu}MHOS$, respectively. Physiological and biochemical characteristics distingiushed Vibrio sp. D5 from other sucrose positive Vibrio: V. alginoipicus, V. cholerae, V. cincinnatiensis, V. fluvialis, V. furnissii and V. metschnikovii. The range of salinity and pH for growth of Vibrio sp. D5 were $0.5\%\~7.5\%$ and $4.5\~9.5$, respectively. Vibrio sp. D5 exhibited typical yellow colony on TCBS agar plate and curved rod type upon transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Vibrio sp. D5 had lethal toxicity against mouse in case of intraperitoneal injection with its culture and showed hemolysin activity on human blood agar and sheep blood agar. Ubrio sp. D5 also demonstrated vascular permeability activity toward rat. From the above results, Vibrio sp. D5 was ascertained to be a novel pathogenic Vibrio.