Comparative polyphasic characterization of Streptococcus phocae strains with different host origin and description of the subspecies Streptococcus phocae subsp. salmonis subsp. nov.

A polyphasic study was undertaken to clarify the taxonomic position of Streptococcus phocae strains isolated from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) cage-farmed in Chile. Four salmon and three seal isolates showed minor differences in the SDS-PAGE protein analysis. Thus, a major protein band present in the salmon isolates, of approximately 22.4 kDa, was absent in the pinniped strains, regardless of the growth media employed. In addition, the pinniped strains showed protein bands with molecular masses of 71.5 and 14.2 kDa, when grown on trypticase soy agar supplemented with 1% NaCl, or 25.6 kDa, when grown on Columbia blood agar, not present in the Atlantic salmon strains. A high similarity in the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS spectra of the strains was observed, although some minor peaks were absent in the fish isolates. Fatty acid methyl esters from isolates with different host origin significantly (P<0.05) differed in the content of C16:0, C17:0, C18:1ω9c, C20:4ω6,9,12,15c and summed features 3, 5 and 8. The salmon isolates formed a separate cluster in the phylogenetic analysis of housekeeping genes, separately or as concatenated sequences. Sequence divergences among salmon and seal strains were in the range of inter-subspecies differentiation for groEL (2.5%), gyrB (1.8%), recN (2.1%), rpoB (1.7%) and sodA (2.0%) genes. DNA-DNA hybridization results confirmed those of sequencing, showing reassociation values between seal and salmon strains close to the borderline of species definition. Differences in growth at low temperatures and in the haemolytic capacities were also observed between both groups of isolates. On the basis of all these results, the salmon isolates represent a novel subspecies of S. phocae, for which the name Streptococcus phocae subsp. salmonis subsp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C-4T (=CECT 7921T=DSM 24768T). The subspecies Streptococcus phocae subsp. phocae subsp. nov. is automatically created. An emended description of S. phocae is also provided.

Iron uptake mechanisms in the fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum.

We present here the first evidence of the presence of iron uptake mechanisms in the bacterial fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum. Representative strains of this species, with different serotypes and origins, were examined. All of them were able to grow in the presence of the chelating agent ethylenediamine-di-(o-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid) (EDDHA) and also produced siderophores. Cross-feeding assays suggest that the siderophores produced are closely related. In addition, all T. maritimum strains utilized transferrin, hemin, hemoglobin, and ferric ammonic citrate as iron sources when added to iron-deficient media. Whole cells of all T. maritimum strains, grown under iron-supplemented or iron-restricted conditions, were able to bind hemin, indicating the existence of constitutive binding components located at the T. maritimum cell surface. This was confirmed by the observation that isolated total and outer membrane proteins from all of the strains, regardless of the iron levels of the media, were able to bind hemin, with the outer membranes showing the strongest binding. Proteinase K treatment of whole cells did not affect the hemin binding, indicating that, in addition to proteins, some protease-resistant components could also bind hemin. At least three outer membrane proteins were induced in iron-limiting conditions, and all strains, regardless of their serotype, showed a similar pattern of induced proteins. The results of the present study suggest that T. maritimum possesses at least two different systems of iron acquisition: one involving the synthesis of siderophores and another that allows the utilization of heme groups as iron sources by direct binding.

Binding of haemin by the fish pathogen Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida.

Whole cells of virulent (DI 21 and B 51) and avirulent (ATCC 29690 and EPOY 8803-II) strains of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, grown under iron-supplemented or iron-restricted conditions, were able to bind haemin. Iron limitation resulted in an increased binding of haemin by DI 21, B 51 and ATCC 29690 cells but did not affect the haemin-binding ability of the EPOY 8803-II cells. Proteinase K treatment of whole cells markedly reduced the binding of haemin, indicating that protein receptors located at the cell surface are involved in the binding. This was confirmed by the observation that isolated total as well as outer membrane proteins from all the strains, regardless of the iron levels of the media, were able to bind haemin, with the outer membranes showing the strongest binding. Haemin binding by membrane protein extracts was not affected by heat treatment but was almost completely abolished by Proteinase K treatment, suggesting the presence of thermostable protein receptors for haemin. The capsular polysaccharide also appears to play a minor role in binding of haemin. It was concluded that constitutive as well as inducible mechanisms of haemin binding occur in P. damselae subsp. piscicida. These mechanisms would rely mainly upon the direct interaction between the haemin molecules and surface-exposed outer membrane protein receptors.