Occurrence ofHelicobacter pyloriDNA in the coastal environment of southern Italy (Straits of Messina).

Carbone, M.; Maugeri, T.L.; Gugliandolo, C.; La Camera, E.; Biondo, C.; Fera, M.T.

m. carbone, t.l. maugeri, c. gugliandolo, e. la camera, c. biondo and m.t. fera. 2005.The occurrence ofHelicobacter pyloriin the coastal zone of the Straits of Messina (Italy) as free-living and associated with plankton was studied.Monthly sampling of seawater and plankton was carried out from April 2002 to March, 2003. All environmental samples analysed by cultural method, did not show the presence ofH. pylori. The DNA extracted from all environmental samples was tested by PCR by using primers forH. pylori16S rRNA,ureA andcagA. 16S rRNA PCR yielded amplified products of 522-bp in 15 of 36 (41·7%) of the environmental samples. By using theureA primers to amplify the urea signal sequences, the predicted PCR products of 491-bp were obtained from eight (22·2%) of 36 environmental samples. PCR withcagA primers yielded amplified products of 349-bp in DNA extracted of seven of 36 (19·4%) of the environmental samples. When 16S rRNA,ureA andcagA amplified gene sequences were aligned withH. pylori26695 and J99 genome sequences, we obtained a percentage of alignment over 90%.The detection ofH. pylorigenes in marine samples allows us to consider the marine environment a possible reservoir for this pathogenic bacterium.The direct detection ofH. pylorigenes may be relevant in order to consider the marine environment as significant reservoir for this bacterium.

TERRITORIAL waters; NITROGEN excretion; METABOLISM; UREA; URINALYSIS; PLANKTON

Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2005, Vol 98, Issue 3, p768

1364-5072

Academic Journal

10.1111/j.1365-2672.2004.02517.x