Intraspecific diversity of the marine fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum as determined by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intraspecific genetic variability within Tenacibaculum maritimum strains isolated from different species of marine fish. Methods and Results: Twenty-nine strains isolated from five different fish species and three reference strains were characterized by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method. Cluster analysis of RAPD-PCR profiles showed that the strains, regardless of the oligonucleotide primer employed (P2 and P6), were separated into two main groups that strongly correlated with the host species and/or O-serotypes described for this pathogen. One group composed all strains isolated from sole (Solea senegalensis and S. solea) and gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), and the other compiled the T. maritimum isolates from yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). An important exception was observed in the RAPD patterns of the reference strains, which were included in different genetic groups depending on the primer employed. Conclusions: The results obtained demonstrated genetic variability within the T. maritimum isolated from different marine fish. Such genetic variability proved to be strongly associated with the host and/or serogroups described for this pathogen. Significance and Impact of the Study: The RAPD analysis constitutes a valuable molecular technique for epidemiological studies of T. maritimum. Interestingly, this is the first report of intraspecific differentiation and characterization of T. maritimum strains isolated from cultured fish.