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Presence of Zonula Occludens Toxin-Coding Genes among Vibrio parahaemolyticus Isolates of Clinical and Environmental
Cristian Iribarren1, Nicolás Plaza1, Sebastián Ramírez-Araya1
1Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8320000, Chile.
Abstract:
In recent studies, emphasis has been placed on the zonula occludens toxin (Zot) from the non-toxigenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain PMC53.7 as an agent inducing alterations in the actin cytoskeleton of infected Caco-2 cells and which appears as a relevant virulence factor. Universal zot primers were designed by the alignment of different types of zot gene and identification of conserved sequences to investigate the presence in diverse environmental and clinical V. parahaemolyticus isolates, in co-occurrence with virulence factors, such a hemolysins and secretion systems. The study screened a total of 390 isolates from environmental sources from Chile and Italy and 95 Chilean clinical isolates. The results revealed that around 37.2% of Chilean environmental strains and 25.9% of Italian strains, and 24.2% of clinical isolates carried the zot gene. The Zot-C2 cluster was present in 71.4% of Chilean environmental strains but absent in clinical isolates, while the Zot-C4 cluster was identified in 28.6% of environmental and 100% of clinical isolates. Understanding the role of zot in V. parahaemolyticus virulence is crucial, especially considering the risk associated with consuming diverse isolates from bivalves and the co-occurrence with virulence factors such as TDH, TRH or T3SS2.
Insights
The zonula occludens toxin (Zot) gene was detected in Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from environmental and clinical sources. Its presence, particularly specific clusters, is linked to virulence and potential risks from seafood consumption.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Food Safety
Background:
- The zonula occludens toxin (Zot) from *Vibrio parahaemolyticus* is recognized for altering host cell actin cytoskeleton.
- Zot is considered a significant virulence factor in *Vibrio parahaemolyticus* infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of the *zot* gene in diverse environmental and clinical *Vibrio parahaemolyticus* isolates.
- To analyze the co-occurrence of the *zot* gene with other known virulence factors.
Main Methods:
- Designed universal *zot* primers through conserved sequence alignment.
- Screened 390 environmental isolates (Chile, Italy) and 95 clinical isolates (Chile) for the *zot* gene.
- Characterized Zot-C2 and Zot-C4 clusters in positive isolates.
Main Results:
- The *zot* gene was found in 37.2% of Chilean environmental, 25.9% of Italian environmental, and 24.2% of clinical isolates.
- The Zot-C2 cluster was prevalent in Chilean environmental strains (71.4%) but absent in clinical isolates.
- The Zot-C4 cluster was identified in 28.6% of environmental and 100% of clinical isolates.
Conclusions:
- The *zot* gene is present across various *Vibrio parahaemolyticus* populations, indicating its widespread relevance.
- Specific *zot* clusters (C2 and C4) show distinct distribution patterns in environmental versus clinical isolates.
- Understanding *zot*'s role is critical for assessing risks associated with *Vibrio parahaemolyticus* from seafood and its co-infection with other virulence factors.
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