Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Laboratory Techniques Used to Maintain and Differentiate Biotypes of Vibrio cholerae Clinical and Environmental Isolates
Published on: May 30, 2017
[Microevolution of cholera agent in the modern period]
Aim:
To carry out comparative molecular genetic analysis of highly pathogenic atypical Vibrio cholerae strains biovar El Tor, isolated in the territory of RF, in order to determine micro-evolutionary alterations of cholera agent in the modern period.
Materials And Methods:
38 clinical strains have been examined by means of polymerase chain reaction, sequencing and MLVA-analysis. The selected strains were isolated at different periods of time during cholera epidemic complications and differed between each other in virulence.
Results:
It is demonstrated that new variants have emerged in the course of short-term microevolution. Their genome structure and function differ from those of all previously known strains. The genome alterations have been caused by point mutations in ctxB u tcpA genes associated with virulence and located in CTXΦ prophage and pathogenicity island VPI-1 respectively, as well as by the extended deletion in pandemicity island VSP-II. Presented is the dynamics of genome structure and function alterations in modern strains.
Conclusion:
The discovered genomic alterations in the new variants of the agent evolved in the process of microevolution are indicative of their epidemic potential enhancement and probability of virulence potentiation.
Related Concept Videos
Cholera
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Evolution of Microbial Genome
Evolutionary Processes in Microbes
History of Microbiology
Bacterial Phylum Chlamydiae

