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The biology of vibrios
Media Watch
Book The biology of vibrios
The biology of vibrios Edited by FL Thompson, B Austin, J Swings ASM Press, 2006 $139·95, 454 pp ISBN 1 55581 365 8
384
The genus Vibrio is a group of moderately halophilic bacteria that are widely distributed in aquatic environments from freshwater to deep-sea water. There are between 40 to 70 species assigned to this genus depending on the reference source, 12 species of which are pathogenic to human beings. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus are the most important species in terms of number, distribution, and severity of infections. Vibrios are most frequently isolated in warmer waters (above 18°C) where they can make up over 40% of the total bacterial count. Interest in the vibrios stems in part from the array of interactions these organisms have in the aquatic ecosystem including nutrient recycling to interactions with coral reefs, protozoans, zooplanktons, phytoplanktons, shellfish, and fin fish. Over millions of years of evolution, vibrios have adapted to a wide range of bacterial–host associations from symbiotic to pathogenic interactions. The biology of vibrios edited by Thompson, Austin, and Swings explores this spectacular diversity of lifestyles among the Vibrio species. The biology of vibrios is divided into 11 topic sections comprised of 29 chapters with a number of excellent introductory chapters on the phylogeny, physiology, and ecology of vibrios. A section on genome evolution places particular emphasis on the role of horizontal gene transfer and integrons in genome variation, detailed in chapters by Yan Boucher and Hatch Stokes, and Dean Rowe-Magnus and colleagues. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in V vulnificus and V cholerae and the astonishing array of resistance genes carried on superintegrons in Vibrio spp are also described. Symbiotic vibrio–host interactions are illustrated by Eric Stabb who discusses the role of Vibrio fischeri in the light organ of squid and by Tomoo Sawabe who reveals the importance of Vibrio halioticoli in alginate degradation in the gut of abalone. The notoriety of vibrios comes more from their role as important pathogens of shellfish, fin fish, and human beings and a large part of The biology of vibrios is devoted to what we know and understand of these pathogenic species. The section on animal pathogens features the biology and pathogenicity of some of the most significant aquaculture pathogenic vibrio species such as Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio salmonicida, and Vibrio splendidus. In a section entitled The impact of genomics and proteomics in the study of human pathogens, Michael Prouty and Karl Klose provide a comprehensive account of the genetics of pathogenesis of V cholerae, one of three chapters in the book devoted to this important human pathogen.
Iida, Park, and Honda review the state of our knowledge of the virulence of V parahaemolyticus and discuss the recent emergence of a potential pandemic clone. V parahaemolyticus is the leading cause of seafoodborne gastroenteritis and in susceptible hosts can cause systemic infections with lethal outcomes. Up until 1996, V parahaemolyticus infections involved multiple serogroups; however, in that year an O3:K6 serogroup was identified in an outbreak in Calcutta, India, where V parahaemolyticus ranks second to V cholerae in causing gastroenteritis. The O3:K6 serogroup was subsequently identified in outbreaks in Japan, where V parahaemolyticus is the number one foodborne pathogen. The V parahaemolyticus O3:K6 serogroup has since been recovered worldwide indicating the emergence of a potential pandemic clone. The third most important vibrio human pathogen, V vulnificus, is described by James Oliver. V vulnificus is an elusive human pathogen that predominantly causes septicaemia and infections of wounds. In susceptible hosts, V vulnificus infections can have a high mortality rate (greater than 50%) as well as severe clinical presentations such as necrotic wound infections resulting in bulbous lesions. Among V cholerae and V parahaemolyticus only a defined subset of isolates are associated with infection, principally those strains encoding the respective toxins associated with disease. By contrast, V vulnificus disease is not known to be toxin-mediated and no clear virulence factors have been described to differentiate potential pathogenic isolates from non-pathogenic isolates. Oliver provides a concise overview of the state of our knowledge on V vulnificus and discusses the problems associated with elucidating the pathogenesis of infections. The biology of vibrios is an excellent reference book for the vibrio specialist who wants to learn more about the genus as a whole. The book also makes a wonderful textbook for an advanced microbiology undergraduate or graduate class. Vibrios typify microbial diversity and are representative of our current understanding of biochemical, genetic, and physiological capabilities of bacteria based on the available “omic” technologies and molecular and cellular analyses. It is more than 20 years since the last textbook devoted to the vibrios was published and with more than 25 vibrio genome sequences complete or in progress, The biology of vibrios is a timely publication that will be an essential reference book to place in context this rapidly expanding database.
E Fidelma Boyd [email protected]
http://infection.thelancet.com Vol 7 June 2007
Book The biology of vibrios
The biology of vibrios Edited by FL Thompson, B Austin, J Swings ASM Press, 2006 $139·95, 454 pp ISBN 1 55581 365 8
384
The genus Vibrio is a group of moderately halophilic bacteria that are widely distributed in aquatic environments from freshwater to deep-sea water. There are between 40 to 70 species assigned to this genus depending on the reference source, 12 species of which are pathogenic to human beings. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus are the most important species in terms of number, distribution, and severity of infections. Vibrios are most frequently isolated in warmer waters (above 18°C) where they can make up over 40% of the total bacterial count. Interest in the vibrios stems in part from the array of interactions these organisms have in the aquatic ecosystem including nutrient recycling to interactions with coral reefs, protozoans, zooplanktons, phytoplanktons, shellfish, and fin fish. Over millions of years of evolution, vibrios have adapted to a wide range of bacterial–host associations from symbiotic to pathogenic interactions. The biology of vibrios edited by Thompson, Austin, and Swings explores this spectacular diversity of lifestyles among the Vibrio species. The biology of vibrios is divided into 11 topic sections comprised of 29 chapters with a number of excellent introductory chapters on the phylogeny, physiology, and ecology of vibrios. A section on genome evolution places particular emphasis on the role of horizontal gene transfer and integrons in genome variation, detailed in chapters by Yan Boucher and Hatch Stokes, and Dean Rowe-Magnus and colleagues. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in V vulnificus and V cholerae and the astonishing array of resistance genes carried on superintegrons in Vibrio spp are also described. Symbiotic vibrio–host interactions are illustrated by Eric Stabb who discusses the role of Vibrio fischeri in the light organ of squid and by Tomoo Sawabe who reveals the importance of Vibrio halioticoli in alginate degradation in the gut of abalone. The notoriety of vibrios comes more from their role as important pathogens of shellfish, fin fish, and human beings and a large part of The biology of vibrios is devoted to what we know and understand of these pathogenic species. The section on animal pathogens features the biology and pathogenicity of some of the most significant aquaculture pathogenic vibrio species such as Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio salmonicida, and Vibrio splendidus. In a section entitled The impact of genomics and proteomics in the study of human pathogens, Michael Prouty and Karl Klose provide a comprehensive account of the genetics of pathogenesis of V cholerae, one of three chapters in the book devoted to this important human pathogen.
Iida, Park, and Honda review the state of our knowledge of the virulence of V parahaemolyticus and discuss the recent emergence of a potential pandemic clone. V parahaemolyticus is the leading cause of seafoodborne gastroenteritis and in susceptible hosts can cause systemic infections with lethal outcomes. Up until 1996, V parahaemolyticus infections involved multiple serogroups; however, in that year an O3:K6 serogroup was identified in an outbreak in Calcutta, India, where V parahaemolyticus ranks second to V cholerae in causing gastroenteritis. The O3:K6 serogroup was subsequently identified in outbreaks in Japan, where V parahaemolyticus is the number one foodborne pathogen. The V parahaemolyticus O3:K6 serogroup has since been recovered worldwide indicating the emergence of a potential pandemic clone. The third most important vibrio human pathogen, V vulnificus, is described by James Oliver. V vulnificus is an elusive human pathogen that predominantly causes septicaemia and infections of wounds. In susceptible hosts, V vulnificus infections can have a high mortality rate (greater than 50%) as well as severe clinical presentations such as necrotic wound infections resulting in bulbous lesions. Among V cholerae and V parahaemolyticus only a defined subset of isolates are associated with infection, principally those strains encoding the respective toxins associated with disease. By contrast, V vulnificus disease is not known to be toxin-mediated and no clear virulence factors have been described to differentiate potential pathogenic isolates from non-pathogenic isolates. Oliver provides a concise overview of the state of our knowledge on V vulnificus and discusses the problems associated with elucidating the pathogenesis of infections. The biology of vibrios is an excellent reference book for the vibrio specialist who wants to learn more about the genus as a whole. The book also makes a wonderful textbook for an advanced microbiology undergraduate or graduate class. Vibrios typify microbial diversity and are representative of our current understanding of biochemical, genetic, and physiological capabilities of bacteria based on the available “omic” technologies and molecular and cellular analyses. It is more than 20 years since the last textbook devoted to the vibrios was published and with more than 25 vibrio genome sequences complete or in progress, The biology of vibrios is a timely publication that will be an essential reference book to place in context this rapidly expanding database.
E Fidelma Boyd [email protected]
http://infection.thelancet.com Vol 7 June 2007