400621 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Facultative Anaerobic Organism, Foodborne Illness, Quorum Sensing

• School: UWS
• Department: University of Western Sydney
• Course: 400621
• Professor: mark jones

Document Summary

Vibrio is a genus of gram-negative bacteria, possessing a curved-rod (comma) shape, several species of which can cause foodborne infection, usually associated with eating undercooked seafood. Typically found in salt water, vibrio species are facultative anaerobes that test positive for oxidase and do not form spores. All members of the genus are motile and have polar flagella with sheaths. Vibrio species typically possess two chromosomes, which is unusual for bacteria. Each chromosome has a distinct and independent origin of replication,and are conserved together over time in the genus. Recent phylogenies have been constructed based on a suite of genes. Most disease-causing strains are associated with gastroenteritis, but can also infect open wounds and cause sepsis. They can be carried by numerous marine animals, such as crabs or prawns, and have been known to cause fatal infections in humans during exposure.