Detection of the thermostable direct hemolysin gene and related DNA sequences in Vibrio parahaemolyticus and other vibrio species by the DNA colony hybridization test.

A specific gene probe for the Vibrio parahaemolyticus thermostable direct hemolysin gene was constructed and used to examine the presence or absence of the thermostable direct hemolysin gene or related DNA sequences in V. parahaemolyticus and other vibrios by the DNA colony hybridization method. The gene probe consisted of a 406-base-pair, completely internal fragment covering 71% of the structural gene with PstI linkers added to the ends. Six copies of this 415-base-pair PstI fragment were cloned into plasmid pBR322, which yielded large amounts of the probe DNA. One hundred forty-one V. parahaemolyticus strains were tested with the gene probe, and the results were compared with those of phenotypic assays for the thermostable direct hemolysin. All Kanagawa phenomenon-positive strains were gene positive. However, 86% of the strains that exhibited weak Kanagawa phenomenon and 16% of Kanagawa phenomenon-negative strains also reacted with the gene probe. Immunological methods for the detection of the thermostable direct hemolysin (modified Elek test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) showed better correlation with gene probe results. All gene-positive strains produced hemolysin detectable in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, although occasional strains showed weak reaction. The modified Elek test was slightly less sensitive than the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All gene-negative strains were also negative in these immunological assays. One hundred twenty-one strains of Vibrio spp. other than V. parahaemolyticus were tested with the gene probe; only Vibrio hollisae strains reacted with the probe under stringent conditions.