The gene
mtlA
, encoding the mannitol transporter subunit IICBA of the phosphotransferase system, was the core gene with the greatest variability in
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
and could be used as a new typing marker in
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
. To expand its application, we performed an evolutionary analysis and found that the
mtlA
gene was present in nine phyla, 371 genera, and 1,662 species of bacteria. It is commonly found in pathogenic species of
Vibrio
, followed by
Paenibacillus
,
Mycolicibacterium
, etc. To investigate whether the
mtlA
gene could serve as a novel typing gene for whole
Vibrio
species, we compared the typing effect of the
mtlA
gene with multilocus sequence type (MLST) in 13 common pathogenic
Vibrio
species. The results revealed that the
mtlA
gene was present in all common pathogenic species, providing comparable or even higher typing resolution than MLST, especially in
Vibrio cholerae
,
Vibrio alginolyticus
,
Vibrio harveyi
, and
Vibrio anguillarum
, enabling accurate typing and traceability; however, many species lacked allelic profiles of MLST genes, making it impossible to obtain accurate STs. In summary, these findings validated the potential typing application of the
mtlA
gene in
Vibrio
species.
IMPORTANCE
Vibrio
is a collection of gram-negative bacteria characterized by possessing two chromosomes, which exhibit numerous shared biological and genomic traits. Around 13 species of
Vibrio
are known to cause infections in humans. Without appropriate medical interventions, the consequences of these infections can escalate to become life-threatening. Therefore, based on the prevalent characteristics of pathogenic
Vibrio
, it is imperative for us to classify and trace various
Vibrio
species that cause human illness and prescribe medication rationally to control the spread of diseases. In our investigation, we explored the prevalence and typing accuracy of the
mtlA
gene in
Vibrio
. Our findings revealed its ubiquitous presence across typical pathogenic
Vibrio
species, offering superior typing efficacy compared with MLST and more extensive implications.
