PCR Detection of Emerging Bacterial Pathogen

Abstract

The study of oceanic microbial communities and pathogenic bacteria is crucial for our understanding of the role of microbes in terms of biomass, diversity and ecosystem function. In this study, 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing was used to investigate change in bacterial community structure between Tongyoung in the South Sea of Korea and Chuuk in Micronesia, located in the North and South Pacific Oceans, respectively. Each water mass revealed highly diverse bacterial communities, containing ~900 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). The microbial distribution and highly heterogeneous composition observed at both sampling sites were different from those of most macroorganisms. The bacterial communities in the seawater at both sites were most abundant in Proteobacteria during the summer in Tongyoung and in Bacterioidetes during the spring. In particular, we found that two bacterial pathogens, Acrobacter cloacae and Acrobacter mytili, has been revealed as potential emerging bacterial pathogens. In addition, PCR detection kit including species-specific primers which were designed to target the barcode gene 16S rRNA from bacteria were used to evaluated their presence in seawater.nvestigate change in bacterial community structure between Tongyoung in the South Sea of Korea and Chuuk in Micronesia, located in the North and South Pacific Oceans, respectively. Each water mass revealed highly diverse bacterial communities, containing ~900 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). The microbial distribution and highly heterogeneous composition observed at both sampling sites were different from those of most macroorganisms. The bacterial communities in the seawater at both sites were most abundant in Proteobacteria during the summer in Tongyoung and in Bacterioidetes during the spring. In particular, we found that two bacterial pathogens, Acrobacter cloacae and Acrobacter mytili, has been revealed as potential emerging bacterial pathogens. In addition, PCR detection kit including species-specific primers which were designed to target the barcode gene 16S rRNA from bacteria were used to evaluated their presence in seawater.