Genome sequence of Vibrio splendidus: an abundant planctonic marine species with a large genotypic diversity

• Published in: Environmental microbiology Vol. 11; no. 8; pp. 1959 - 1970
• Main Authors: Le Roux, Frédérique, Zouine, Mohamed, Chakroun, Nesrine, Binesse, Johan, Saulnier, Denis, Bouchier, Christiane, Zidane, Nora, Ma, Laurence, Rusniok, Christophe, Lajus, Aurélie, Buchrieser, Carmen, Médigue, Claudine, Polz, Martin F, Mazel, Didier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Society for Applied Microbiology and Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal genetics; Base Sequence; Biodiversity; DNA Fingerprinting; Environmental Sciences; Genetic Variation; Genetics; Genome, Bacterial; Integrons; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Seawater - microbiology; Trimethoprim Resistance - genetics; Vibrio; Vibrio - classification; Vibrio - genetics; Vibrio - metabolism; Vibrio - pathogenicity; Vibrio splendidus
• ISSN: 1462-2912; 1462-2920
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01918.x

Vibrio splendidus is a dominant Vibrio species in seawater presenting a remarkable genetic diversity; several strains have been linked to invertebrate's mortality. We report the complete genome sequence of V. splendidus LGP32, an oyster pathogen, and its comparison with partial genome sequences from related strains. As is typical for the genus, V. splendidus LGP32 contains two chromosomes (3.29 and 1.67 Mb) and most essential cellular processes are encoded by chromosome 1. Comparison with two other V. splendidus partial genome sequences (strains 12B01 and Med222) confirms the previously suggested high genotypic diversity within this species and led to the identification of numerous strain-specific regions that could frequently not be assigned to a specific mechanisms of recombination. Surprisingly, the chromosomal integron, the most variable genetic element in all other Vibrio species analysed to date, is absent from 12B01 and inactivated by a mobile element in Med222, while in LGP32 it only contains a limited number of cassettes. Finally, we found that the LGP32 integron contains a new dfrA cassette, related to those found in resistance integrons of Gram-negative clinical isolates. Those results suggest that marine Vibrio can be a source of antibiotic resistance genes.