Detection of type III secretion system genes in Aeromonas hydrophila and their relationship with virulence in Nile tilapia

The goals of this study were to develop a PCR technique to detect ascV and aopB genes from the type III secretion system (T3SS), to evaluate the frequency of these genes in Aeromonas hydrophila strains isolated from diseased fish and from aquaculture environments, and to determine the relationship between the presence of these genes and virulence of A. hydrophila in Nile tilapia. The PCR assay developed here successfully detected the target genes, showing three different profiles for the strains ascV+/aopB+, ascV+/aopB−, and ascV−/aopB−. A higher frequency of ascV+/aopB+ was verified in isolates from diseased fish compared to those from aquaculture environments (P < 0.05). Among 64 isolates from diseased fish, ascV+/aopB+ (62.5%) was the most frequent profile (P < 0.05) and caused more intensive mortality rates. Environmental strains containing the ascV+/aopB+ profile were less virulent than isolates from clinical cases. These results suggest that the presence of a functional T3SS probably increases the virulence of A. hydrophila. The PCR technique was shown to be a specific and efficient tool for detection of T3SS, and this technique can be used for virulence typing of A. hydrophila isolates.