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Identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus found on plastics via matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry
Summary
Researchers sampled plastic debris from the Western Mediterranean coast of Turkey and identified the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus colonizing plastic surfaces using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Plastics in coastal waters harbored viable V. parahaemolyticus strains, raising concern that marine plastic debris acts as a vehicle for transporting food-safety pathogens.
Plastic pollution has become a pervasive environmental threat in aquatic ecosystems worldwide, leading to the formation of microplastics that act as substrates for microbial colonization and potential pathogen transmission. This study investigated plastic-associated bacterial communities, with a focus on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, along the Western Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, particularly in the Manavgat river and adjacent coastal waters (0-5 m depth). The aim of this study was to characterize plastic-associated bacterial communities, particularly Vibrio parahaemolyticus, in plastic and water samples collected from the Manavgat River and adjacent Western Mediterranean coastal waters using FTIR, PCR, and MALDI-TOF MS. Plastic and water samples were analyzed using a combination of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). FTIR results identified polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as the dominant polymers. PCR amplification targeting the GyrB gene confirmed the presence of V. parahaemolyticus in biofilm-forming bacterial isolates from plastics and seawater. MALDI-TOF MS analyses further supported these findings, yielding genus-level identification scores (1.7-1.9) consistent with established classification thresholds. The results indicate that plastics serve as persistent reservoirs and transport vectors for potentially pathogenic bacteria, facilitating their survival and dissemination in aquatic habitats. This study underscores the significance of the plastisphere as a microbial niche and highlights the public health risks associated with plastic-associated biofilms. Further metagenomic and functional analyses are recommended to elucidate gene exchange dynamics and pathogenic potential within these biofilm communities.