AUTHOR=Gai Chunlei , Liu Jie , Zheng Xurui , Xu La , Ye Haibin 

TITLE=Identification of Vibrio ponticus as a bacterial pathogen of coral trout Plectropomus leopardus

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.1089247

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2022.1089247

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Vibrio ponticus</italic> is a vital pathogen with potential danger for aquaculture animals. Yet <italic>V. ponticus</italic> pathogenic to the coral trout <italic>Plectropomus leopardus</italic> is still unknown. In this study, a virulent bacterial strain, temporarily named DX2, was isolated from diseased coral trout suffering liver necrosis with cell vacuolar degeneration, and was identified molecularly and phenotypically as <italic>V. ponticus</italic>. Besides, the DX2 isolate showed an LD<sub>50</sub> value of 6.64×10<sup>5</sup> CFU mL<sup>-1</sup>, developed multiple resistances to cephalosporins, macrolides, penicillins, peptides, and sulfonamides antimicrobials, and was highly susceptible to doxycycline and florfenicol in aquaculture use. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the pathogenicity of <italic>V. ponticus</italic> to the coral trout, and the findings provide a reference for the control of pathogenic <italic>V. ponticus</italic> in the coral trout.</p>