Chromosomeencoded hemolysin, phospholipase, and collagenase in plasmidless isolates of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae contribute to virulence for fish

Abstract

Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae is a pathogen of marine animals, including fish of importance in aquaculture. The virulence plasmid pPHDD1, characteristic of highly hemolytic isolates, encodes the hemolysins damselysin (Dly) and phobalysin (PhlyP). Strains lacking pPHDD1 constitute the vast majority of the isolates from fish outbreaks, but genetic studies to identify virulence factors in plasmidless strains are scarce. Here, we show that the chromosome I-encoded hemolysin PhlyC plays roles in virulence and cell toxicity in pPHDD1-negative isolates of this pathogen. By combining the analyses of whole genomes and of gene deletion mutants, we identified two hitherto uncharacterized chromosomal loci encoding a phospholipase (PlpV) and a collagenase (ColP). PlpV was ubiquitous in the subspecies and exerted hemolytic activity against fish erythrocytes, which was enhanced in the presence of lecithin. ColP was restricted to a fraction of the isolates and was responsible for the collagen-degrading activity in this subspecies. Consistent with the presence of signal peptides in PlpV and ColP sequences, mutants for the type II secretion system (T2SS) genes epsL and pilD exhibited impairments in phospholipase and collagenase activities. Sea bass virulence experiments and cell culture assays demonstrated major contributions of PhlyC and PlpV to virulence and toxicity.