Identification of environmental plasmid-bearing Vibrio species isolated from polluted and pristine marine reserves of Hong Kong, and resistance to antibiotics and mercury

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identification of environmental plasmid-bearing Vibrio species isolated from polluted and pristine marine reserves of Hong Kong, and resistance to antibiotics and mercury

AU - Zhang, Ruifu

AU - Wang, Yanling

AU - Gu, Ji Dong

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported in part by ‘863 Project’ No. 2002AA601160 and supplementary support of The University of Hong Kong. We thank Zhenye Zhao and Jessie Lai for water sample and laboratory support, and AFCD for field sampling support.

PY - 2006/5

Y1 - 2006/5

N2 - Fifty environmental isolates of Vibrio species were isolated from water samples of Mai Po Nature Reserve and the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve in Hong Kong and screened for the presence of plasmid. Mai Po is a wastewater-impacted area while the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve is pristine natural marine water. Plasmid was found in Vibrio isolates from both sites at similar frequencies and each site showed distinctive plasmid profiles. These plasmid-bearing Vibrio isolates were identified as different species of the Vibrio genus by both biochemical test and subsequently full-length 16S rRNA sequences. Antibiotic resistance test showed that all these plasmid-bearing Vibrio isolates showed multiple resistance to 21 antibiotics tested. In addition, selective isolates also showed tolerance to 10 μM Hg2+ in culture medium and they generally harbored large plasmid(s) (>30 kb). Our results show that the high frequency of plasmid in Vibrio species of both polluted and pristine environments may be ecologically important to the survival of these bacteria in the environment. The specific functioning of the cryptic plasmids remains the focus of current investigations.

AB - Fifty environmental isolates of Vibrio species were isolated from water samples of Mai Po Nature Reserve and the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve in Hong Kong and screened for the presence of plasmid. Mai Po is a wastewater-impacted area while the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve is pristine natural marine water. Plasmid was found in Vibrio isolates from both sites at similar frequencies and each site showed distinctive plasmid profiles. These plasmid-bearing Vibrio isolates were identified as different species of the Vibrio genus by both biochemical test and subsequently full-length 16S rRNA sequences. Antibiotic resistance test showed that all these plasmid-bearing Vibrio isolates showed multiple resistance to 21 antibiotics tested. In addition, selective isolates also showed tolerance to 10 μM Hg2+ in culture medium and they generally harbored large plasmid(s) (>30 kb). Our results show that the high frequency of plasmid in Vibrio species of both polluted and pristine environments may be ecologically important to the survival of these bacteria in the environment. The specific functioning of the cryptic plasmids remains the focus of current investigations.

KW - Antibiotic resistance

KW - Marine environment

KW - Mercury resistance

KW - Plasmid

KW - Pollution

KW - Vibrio spp.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745132098&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10482-005-9032-z

DO - 10.1007/s10482-005-9032-z

M3 - 文章

C2 - 16779626

AN - SCOPUS:33745132098

SN - 0003-6072

VL - 89

SP - 307

EP - 315

JO - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

JF - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

IS - 3-4

ER -