Vagococcus fluvialis

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Vagococcus fluvialis gram-positive stain. Image credit: BMC Infectious Diseases.

Classification

Bacteria; Bacillota; Bacilli; Lactobacillales; Enterococcacae

Species

NCBI: [1]

Vagococcus fluvialis

Description and Significance

Vagococcus fluvialis is a species of lactic acid bacteria that is an anaerobic, gram-positive, catalase-negative cocci that is closely related to the genera Enterococcus and Carnobacterium (Pot et al., 1994). It is a spherical bacterium that can be found singularly, in pairs, or in small chains (Zhang et al., 2023). Colonies appear raised and a gray-white color (Teixeira et al., 2014). V. fluvialis is commonly found in aquatic environments like rivers and seawater, including hosts such as marine sponges (Giannattasio-Ferraz et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2023). A few other sources where V. fluvialis can be found are human blood, peritoneal fluids, wounds, cerebrospinal fluid, chicken, cattle, pigs, horses, cats, and fish (Teixeira et al., 2014). It is believed to be probiotic in fish, however in mammals it is frequently related to infectious tissue (Jimenez et al., 2022).

Genome Structure

The genome size ranges from 2.65 to 3.16 Mb (megabases), with roughly 2801 protein-coding genes and 104 RNA genes (Jimenez et al., 2022). V. fluvialis has one single circular chromosome that contains several plasmids and insertion sequences. Its sequence shows a distinctive genetic profile within the lactic acid bacteria group, allowing it to be classified as its own genus. The genome is dynamic and adaptable to allow for various environments (Giannattasio-Ferraz et al., 2021). Some strains that were isolated from marine sponges had a high number of mobile genetic elements, which is believed to play part in their adaptability and symbiotic relationships (Jimenez et al., 2022).

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

V. fluvialis is a gram-positive, catalase-negative bacterium typically arranged in pairs or chains and some strains have flagella (Zhang et al., 2023). This microorganism is a facultative anaerobe that obtains energy by oxidizing organic compounds. It also ferments various sugars, producing lactic acid as a major end product. One interesting fact about this microbe is that it has a unique lipid pattern with a high concentration of d-alanylcardiolipin, which is unusual for bacteria (Jimenez et al., 2022). V. fluvialis strains produce two major molecules: lactic acid and exopolysaccharides, some even produce probiotic properties.

V. fluvialis can be found in various sources, this includes river water, chicken feces, and urine of healthy cattle. It is usually cultured on blood agar plates and form white/gray colonies with partial a-hemolysis. Optimal growth is between 10C and 40C. Like other bacteria, V. fluvialis reproduces asexually through binary fission.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Vagococcus fluvialis can be found primarily in rivers and seawater, either free-living or within an aquatic organism host. Specific water sources containing this bacteria have not been described in detail. Although V. fluvialis can cause infection within marine life, it is also believed that it may serve as a probiotic agent against infection from other pathogens such as Vibrio anguillarum in fish (Jimenez et al., 2022). 20 years after it was first discovered in aquatic environments, it began to be isolated from lesions in mammals such as pigs, horses, cats, and cattle (Giannattasio-Ferraz et al., 2021). It was later isolated from human hosts, most commonly in blood, peritoneal fluid, wounds, and occasionally urine (Kitano et al., 2024).

V. fluvialis is typically isolated from environmental samples such as river water, but has also been isolated from human and animal infectious tissues on occasion. This microbe is often found in the urine of healthy cattle, so it is not pathogenic in all cases. The genome does not encode for any virulence genes, which may indicate its potential as a commensal organism rather than a pathogenic organism (Pot et al., 1994). One particular case in 2024 described the first instance of V. fluvialis found in the urine of a patient in Japan, who worked as a zoo clerk. This case study demonstrated the potential of V. fluvialis to be a zoonotic organism (Kitano et al., 2024). V. fluvialis and other Vagococcus species have been found to be most susceptible to antibiotics such as ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid (Racero et al., 2021).

References

Giannattasio-Ferraz S, Ene A, Maskeri L, Oliveira AP, Barbosa-Stancioli EF, Putonti C. 2021. Vagococcus fluvialis isolation and sequencing from urine of healthy cattle. G3 (Bethesda) 11(1).

Jimenez AR, Guiglielmoni N, Goetghebuer L, Dechamps E, George IF, Flot JF. 2022. Comparative genome analysis of Vagococcus fluvialis reveals abundance of mobile genetic elements in sponge-isolated strains. BMC Genomics 23(618).

Kitano H, Kitagawa H, Tadera K, Saito K, Kohada Y, Takemoto K, Kobatake K, Sekino Y, Hieda K, Ohge H, Hinata N. 2024. First reported human case of isolation of Vagococcus fluvialis from the urine of a former zoo clerk in Japan: a case report. BMC Infect Dis 24(1): 341.

Pot B, Devriese LA, Hommez J, Miry C, Vandemeulebroecke K, Kersters K, Haesebrouck F. 1994. Characterization and identification of Vagococcus fluvialis strains isolated from domestic animals. J Appl Bacteriol 77(4): 362-9.

Racero L, Barberis C, Traglia G, Loza MS, Vay C, Almuzara M. 2021. Infections due to Vagococcus spp. microbial and clinical aspects and literature review. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 39(7): 335-339.

Teixeira LM, Merquior VLC, Shewmaker PL. 2014. Vagococcus. Enc Food Microbiol (Second Edition): 673-679.

Zhang D, Wang X, Yu J, Dai Z, Li Q, Zhang L. 2023. A case of Vagococcus fluvialis isolated from the bile of a patient with calculous cholecystitis. BMC Infect Dis 23(689).

Author

Page authored by Haleigh Elkins, Bri Collins, and Abby Ziegler, students of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.