Back to all available

Aquatic environment as reservoirs of Vibrio parahaemolyticus harboring substantial genetic diversity and mobile genetic elements associated qnrC

biodiversity
evolutionary-studies
genomics
microbiology
epidemiology

Abstract

Background. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a common seafood-borne pathogen, causes human diarrhea with varying degrees of severity. Investigating the genetic profiles of V. parahaemolyticus originating from various sources in the marine environment is essential for elucidating the transmission pathways of this organism. In this study, we aimed to assess the genetic diversity, virulence gene profiles, and antimicrobial resistance determinants of V. parahaemolyticus isolates obtained from seawater samples in Thailand.

Methods. V. parahaemolyticus were isolated by a conventional culture procedure using selective media. Characterization of isolated strains, including virulence gene detection ( tdh/trh ), serotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility, was performed. Whole-genome sequences of selected V. parahaemolyticus were analyzed for multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and possession of mobile genetic element (MGE) related antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).

Results. V. parahaemolyticus isolates were assigned to novel sequence types (STs) (69.05%), underscoring the substantial genetic diversity of this species within a localized habitat. Comparative phylogenetic analysis demonstrated genetic relatedness between seawater isolates from this study and Thai aquatic bird isolates retrieved from our previous publication, suggesting potential transmission pathways involving water and avian hosts within a common ecological niche. The highest levels of antimicrobial resistance were observed against ampicillin (91.30%), followed by streptomycin (67.39%) and sulfonamide (50%). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates were identified (39.1%), with the ampicillin-streptomycin-sulfonamide resistance pattern being predominant. Furthermore, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) associated with ARGs, including dfrA31, fos, qnrC, and qnrS5, were detected within the chromosome of seawater-derived V. parahaemolyticus, with qnrC being the most frequently identified. Notably, evidence supporting the inter-genus transfer of the qnrC gene between V. parahaemolyticus and Proteus mirabilis indicated a high degree of genetic mobility of qnrC, which may contribute to the widespread dissemination of qnrC in the environment.

Ask to review this manuscript

Notes for potential reviewers

  • Volunteering is not a guarantee that you will be asked to review. There are many reasons: reviewers must be qualified, there should be no conflicts of interest, a minimum of two reviewers have already accepted an invitation, etc.
  • This is NOT OPEN peer review. The review is single-blind, and all recommendations are sent privately to the Academic Editor handling the manuscript. All reviews are published and reviewers can choose to sign their reviews.
  • What happens after volunteering? It may be a few days before you receive an invitation to review with further instructions. You will need to accept the invitation to then become an official referee for the manuscript. If you do not receive an invitation it is for one of many possible reasons as noted above.
  • PeerJ does not judge submissions based on subjective measures such as novelty, impact or degree of advance. Effectively, reviewers are asked to comment on whether or not the submission is scientifically and technically sound and therefore deserves to join the scientific literature. Our Peer Review criteria can be found on the "Editorial Criteria" page - reviewers are specifically asked to comment on 3 broad areas: "Basic Reporting", "Experimental Design" and "Validity of the Findings".
  • Reviewers are expected to comment in a timely, professional, and constructive manner.
  • Until the article is published, reviewers must regard all information relating to the submission as strictly confidential.
  • When submitting a review, reviewers are given the option to "sign" their review (i.e. to associate their name with their comments). Otherwise, all review comments remain anonymous.
  • All reviews of published articles are published. This includes manuscript files, peer review comments, author rebuttals and revised materials.
  • Each time a decision is made by the Academic Editor, each reviewer will receive a copy of the Decision Letter (which will include the comments of all reviewers).

If you have any questions about submitting your review, please email us at [email protected].