Vibrio splendidus O-antigen structure: a trade-off between virulence to oysters and resistance to grazers.

A major debate in evolutionary biology is whether virulence is maintained as an adaptive trait and/or evolves to non-virulence. In the environment, virulence traits of non-obligatory parasites are subjected to diverse selective pressures and trade-offs. Here, we focus on a population of Vibrio splendidus that displays moderate virulence for oysters.

Resistance of the oyster pathogen Vibrio tasmaniensis LGP32 against grazing by Vannella sp. marine amoeba involves Vsm and CopA virulence factors.

Vibrios are ubiquitous in marine environments and opportunistically colonize a broad range of hosts. Strains of Vibrio tasmaniensis present in oyster farms can thrive in oysters during juvenile mortality events and behave as facultative intracellular pathogen of oyster haemocytes. Herein, we wondered whether V.