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Colonial opacity variations among the choleragenic vibrios
Richard A Finkelstein1, Mary Boesman-Finkelstein1, Dilip K Sengupta1
1Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.
Microbiology (Reading, England)
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Colonial variations in Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) strains, including opacity changes, are linked to phenotypic differences. These reversible variations may offer survival benefits but their genetic basis requires further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Bacteriology
Background:
- Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) strains, responsible for cholera epidemics, exhibit colonial heterogeneity.
- Understanding the factors influencing V. cholerae colonial appearance is crucial for disease control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind the opaque or translucent colonial appearance of V. cholerae.
- To determine the benefits of colonial appearance variation in V. cholerae.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of V. cholerae cultures using stereomicroscopy and transmitted oblique illumination.
- Observation of colonial opacity in V. cholerae 01 and V. cholerae O139 strains from different geographical regions.
Main Results:
- Marked colonial heterogeneity was observed in V. cholerae cultures received from epidemics.
- Freshly isolated and rapidly preserved V. cholerae strains showed more homogeneous colonies, though still differentiable.
- Colonial opacity variations are reversible and linked to phenotypic changes like altered virulence, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate production, encapsulation, outer-membrane proteins, lipopolysaccharide structure, glycolytic pathway expression, and survival under adverse conditions.
Conclusions:
- Colonial variations in V. cholerae are multifactorial and phenotypically diverse.
- The genetic mechanisms underlying these observed phenotypic changes in V. cholerae remain to be elucidated.