Attachment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains to estuarine algae

Attachment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains to estuarine microalgae was examined in artificial seawater by viable counts of the organism and direct counts of the bacterial cells after immunoperoxidase staining. Thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH)-producing and TDH-non-producing strains of V. parahaemolyticus were found to attach to five estuarine strains of Navicula (diatom alga) in similar levels. The level of the bacterial attachment depended on salinity and temperature of the water, in which the maximum attachment was observed in 15% artificial seawater at 25 degrees C, a typical condition of Hashizu estuary in Japan during summer months. The attachment was inhibited by pectinase digestion of the algal cells. These evidences confirmed the participation of the microalgae to the ecological cycle of V. parahaemolyticus at the estuary.