Temperate Phages of potentially pathogenic Vibrio species from North Sea
Temperate phages are important players in genetic diversification of their bacterial host by transforming their genomes by transduction. During this process, the phage forms a stable interaction with its host, either by integrating into the bacterial chromosome or as plasmid. The integrated phage genome replicates along with the host until the lytic cycle is induced. Temperate phages carry mobile genetic elements which contribute to emergence of disease-causing strains from environmental bacterial populations, e.g. temperate Vibriophages can turn its host Vibrio cholera into a fatal disease upon successful infection and transduction. However, the potential of transferring pathogenic genes due in the marine environments to temperate phages is far less understood. We present results of potential pathogenic Vibrio strains isolated from the North Sea which were screened for lysogenic phages. Three potentially pathogenic Vibrio species V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholera were induced using Mitomycin C. New Vibriophages were isolated to investigate their role in pathogenicity. The present work shows the first insights of temperate phages presence on potential pathogenic Vibrio strains from Northern European seawaters.