RIBOTYPING AND PLASMID PROFILING OF VIBRIO-ANGUILLARUM SEROVAR O2 ANDVIBRIO-ORDALII

One hundred and twenty-nine strains of Vibrio anguillarum serovar O2 a nd 14 strains of Vibrio ordalii were ribotyped and examined for plasmi d contents. A total of 35 different ribotypes were detected. The V. an guillarum serovar O2 strains were divided into 32 different ribotypes. The V. ordalii strains showed three different ribotypes, clearly dist inct from those of the V. anguillarum strains. Ribotypes were separate d into seven clusters, of which one comprised the V. ordalii strains. Clustering of the strains indicated a genetic difference between North European and South European V. anguillarum O2 strains. Sere-subgroups O2a and O2b shared ribotypes; however, three of the clusters did not include O2a strains. All V. ordalii strains had a plasmid of 32 kb. Th is plasmid was not detected in any of the V. anguillarum strains. Seve nteen different plasmid profiles with 17 different sized plasmids were detected among the V. anguillarum strains. Most of the plasmids were small (< 6 kb) and found in several strains. Except for one South Euro pean strain, plasmids were detected only in the North European strains of V. anguillarum O2.