EXAMINING THE PRESENCE OF A COLD SHOCK RESPONSE IN THE HUMAN PATHOGEN, VIBRIO VULNIFICUS

Authors: HUELS, KRISTI - AUBURN UNIVERSITY; BRADY, YOLANDA - AUBURN UNIVERSITY; Delaney, Mary; Bader, Joel

Submitted to: Alabama Chapter of the American Fisheries Association Regional Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2003
Publication Date: 2/24/2003
Citation: HUELS, K., BRADY, Y., DELANEY, M.A., BADER, J.A. EXAMINING THE PRESENCE OF A COLD SHOCK RESPONSE IN THE HUMAN PATHOGEN, VIBRIO VULNIFICUS. Alabama Chapter of the American Fisheries Association Regional Meeting. 2003.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Many aspects of our environment are continually changing whether on a daily cycle, or randomly. This continually changing environment creates a need for responsive mechanisms in all living organisms. The most basic physiological stress responses generally involve the induction of numerous interacting proteins that allow the organism to remain viable during the stress period. How bacterial cells, especially human pathogens, respond to temperature is important to food producers because heat and cold treatments are used as a means of food preservation. This study examined the response of Vibrio vulnificus to incubation at 13 and 4o C. It focused on changes in protein expression using one and two dimensional gel electrophoresis. Although different proteins were expressed following cooler temperature exposure no major cold shock protein was observed. As hypothesized longer incubation times at 13o C resulted in increased variations. Proteins expressed at the cooler temperature were only transiently expressed, classical of stress responses. These preliminary results suggest there is a cold shock response active in V. vulnificus that requires further investigation in order to properly evaluate and alter the general management practices collection and processing of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, from the Gulf of Mexico.