Vibrio vulnificus mutation rate: an in vitro approach

Abstract

Vibrio vulnificus is a multi-host pathogenic species currently subdivided into five phylogenetic lineages (L) plus one pathovar with the ability to infect fish due to a transmissible virulence plasmid. This plasmid (or a fragment of it) has been transmitted between lineages within the species, contributing to the evolution of V. vulnificus. This study aimed to provide an experimental approximation to the V. vulnificusmutation rate by determining spontaneousmutation rates frombacterial cultures of representants of the di􀀀erent lineages by whole-genome sequencing. To this purpose, synonymous SNP di􀀀erences, i.e., spontaneous mutation not subjected to the evolutive forces, between initial and final culture after serial growth were evaluated and used for mutation rate calculation