The role of a 40-megadalton plasmid in the adherence and hemolytic properties of Aeromonas hydrophila

• Published in: Microbial pathogenesis Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 313 - 317
• Main Authors: Hanes, Darcy E., Chandler, Donna K.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aeromonas hydrophila; Aeromonas hydrophila - genetics; antibiotic resistance; Bacterial Adhesion - genetics; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hemolysis; Hemolysis - genetics; Humans; Microbiology; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; phenotypic changes; plasmid; R Factors - genetics; Species Specificity; Aeromonas hydrophila; plasmid; phenotypic changes; antibiotic resistance; hemolysis; Hemolysis; Plasmid; Pathogenicity; Antibiotic; Phenotype; Microorganism resistance; Virulence; Bacteria; Vibrionaceae; Adhesion
• ISSN: 0882-4010; 1096-1208
• DOI: 10.1006/mpat.1993.1081

A cured strain of Aeromonas hydrophila, MS-2PC, was examined for phenotypic changes in antibiotic resistance, adherence, and hemolysis. Parental strain MS-2 was resistant to ampicillin, novobiocin, and carbenicillin; MS-2PC, which lacked a 40-MDa plasmid, was also resistant to ampicillin but was sensitive to novobiocin and carbenicillin. The adherence of these isolates to CaCo-2 and HeLa cells was examined. MS-2PC demonstrated greater attachment to both cell lines than did strain MS-2 (p < 0.05). MS-2PC also demonstrated greater hemolysis activity than did MS-2 (p < 0.01 ). The 40-Mda plasmid was isolated and reintroduced into MS-2PC. The resulting transformant, 20T, regained resistance to carbenicillin and novobiocin. The attachment ability of 20T was equal to that of MS-2, and both strains demonstrated significantly lower attachment ability than that of MS-2PC (p < 0.01). Strains MS-2 and 20T exhibited the same hemolysis pattern, which was markedly less than that of strain MS-2PC. These results indicate that the 40-Mda plasmid which codes for antibiotic resistance also controls other functions of A. hydrophila MS-2.