Oxidative Disinfectants Activate Different Responses in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a prevalent seafoodborne enteropathogen that has become a global concern since the spread of its pandemic strain in 1996. This study investigates the responses of this pathogen to the oxidative disinfectants hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide, and peracetic acid. Expression of the regulator genes oxyR and rpoS, determined by reverse transcription PCR, in V. parahaemolyticus wild-type, oxyR mutant, and rpoS mutant strains exhibited similar patterns in response to the tested oxidative disinfectants. The transcription of the rpoS gene was markedly enhanced in the oxyR mutant strain in the exponential phase. The expression of catalase KatE1 was tracked by using a LacZ fusion reporter in these strains. The experimental results revealed that KatE1 was a significant scavenger of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid in V. parahaemolyticus, and RpoS may partially compensate for the regulatory role of OxyR in the oxyR mutant strain. In contrast to its responses to hydrogen peroxide and paracetic acid, KatE1 was not the primary scavenger of chlorine dioxide in these V. parahaemolyticus strains. This study shows that these disinfectants activated a basic oxidative response in this pathogen with different features.