Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
Vibrio alginolyticus has been reported to cause several damages to reared bivalve molluscan larva. In the present work, we characterized fifty four phenotypic and genetic V. alginolyticus strains isolated from a Ruditapes decussatus hatchery in the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies, Monastir, Tunisia, then we studied the antibiotics susceptibility and the antibacterial activity of clam hemolymph against the tested isolates. We also investigated the adherence ability of these strains to abiotic materials (glass, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl-chloride and stainless steel) and to biotic surfaces (epithelial cell lines: Hep-2 and Vero). Vibrio cells showed high levels of resistance to many antibiotics and produced several hydrolytic exoenzymes. Vibrio strains isolated from broodstock showed the highest resistance to clam hemolymph. The majority of V. alginolyticus strains were able to adhere to all abiotic surfaces tested to varying degrees. The highest cell density was observed on polyvinyl-chloride surface followed by that on the glass slides, polyethylene, polystyrene and stainless steel materials. Adherence properties were found in 64% of the analyzed strains in Hep-2 cells and in 73% when using Vero cells. These results explain how V. alginolyticus manage to persist and proliferate in the entire hatchery.
Key words: Vibrio alginolyticus, Ruditapes decussatus, hatchery, biofilm, antimicrobials.
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