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Analysis of potential vectors of
Serratia marcescens as a Caretta caretta nest pathogen
Giancarlo Coppola
Caretta caretta on BHI • Nes/ng season: May-‐August • Females bury their eggs in the sand • Do not return to nests
• Incuba/on period: 50-‐70 days
• Nests are excavated 3 days following the hatch
Discoveries During Excavations
• Eggs are uncovered • Nest success is inves/gated • Incuba/on results/observa/ons recorded
• Several documented cases of eggs turning pink • Amount of discolored eggs varied • Usually labeled as a fungus
WHAT IS IT?!
Identi;ication of Microbial Communities
J. Wyneken et al. 1984 • Canaveral Na/onal Seashore, FL, USA • N=31 nests, 1 season • Tested cloaca, nest walls, interior/exterior of egg K. Craven et al. 2007 • Jekyll Island, GA, USA • N=15 nests, 2 seasons • Only tested unhatched eggs • Microbial communi/es vary between seasons
Both Studies • 20 different genera of bacteria • Only 1 species associated with all pink nests
Serratia marcescens • Member of Enterobacteriales • Gram Nega/ve Bacillus
• LPS: Known to produce 24 different an/gens
• Found in soil, water, air, plants diges/ve tract of animals • Tolerates extreme condi/ons • Produces different locomo/ve structures
• Pili/we`ng agent for adhesion
• Biosynthesis of prodigiosin
Hypotheses 1. The cloacal fluid of female loggerheads contains minute
quan//es of S. marcescens because it is a shared vent for the release of fecal material.
2. Storm surges that cause ocean levels to rise higher than normal and wash over nests contain S. marcescens due to poten/al overflow of local sep/c systems.
3. Re-‐nourished por/ons of south beach cause S. marcesens nest contamina/on.
Pink Nests on Bald Head Island 2000-‐2013
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1
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5
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7
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Nest Loca/on Nest Count
• Mean nest failure = 48% (±38%)
Methods: Laboratory Protocol 1. Samples immersed in MR-‐VP broth
• Incubated for at least 48h at room temperature
2. Swabbed onto nutrient agar plates
• Incubated for at least 48h at room temperature
• Analyzed for pink colonies
3. Streak plates to isolate colonies
4. Observed colony morphology
Sample Nests Date of
Oviposi/on Nest 6/20/2014 9 6/24/2014 12 6/28/2014 14 *7/5/2014* 19 7/14/2014 23 7/14/2014 24 7/18/2014 26 • 7 nests
• 5 relocated
Hurricane Arthur 07/03/14 • Nest 19: *Oviposi/on two days following* • Nest 9: Addi/onal sand sample (07/09/14)
Results • All samples from all seven nests did not produce any red/pink colonies
• All samples produced substan/al growth of mixed cultures • Except the mucus sample from nest 12: No growth
Discussion • S. marcescens was not present in any sample. • S. marcescens was present in some of my samples yet did not produce prodigiosin. • No visible colonies formed because there weren't enough colony forming units to produce anything negligible. • Other bacteria inhibited the growth of S. marcescens. • My methods were faulty and caused cells to die before they reached growth media.
Future Research • Increase sample size
• Extend across mul/ple seasons
• Iden/fy microbes using polymerase chain reac/ons (PCR)
Thank You Kindly! • Sheila and Jon May • Sheila Schreiner • Kendyll Collins, Courtney Colwell • Jaymie Reneker • BHI conservancy and all BHI staff
References • Craven KS, Awong-‐Taylor J, Griffiths L, Bass C, Muscarella M. 2007. Iden/fica/on
of bacterial isolated from unhatched loggerhead (Care,a care,a) sea turtle eggs in Georgia, USA. Marine Turtle Newsleper (115):9-‐11.
• Hejazi A, Falkiner FR. Serra-a marcescens. 1997. Journal of Medical Biology 46 (11): 903-‐912. doi: 10.1099/00222615-‐46-‐11-‐903
• Loggerhead (Care,a care,a). 2009. Encyclopedia of Endangered Species (1). hpp://corvepe.salemstate.edu:2214/ic/scic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SCIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=mlin_n_state&currPage=&disableHighligh/ng=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=SCIC&ac/on=e&catId=&ac/vityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CCV2644720257
• Tortora GJ, Funke BR, Case CL. 2004. Microbiology: an introduc/on . 8th ed. San
Francisco (CA): p. 313-‐314.
• Wyneken J, Burke TJ, Salmon M, Pedersen DK. 1988. Egg failure in natural and relocated sea turtle nests. Journal of Herpetology 22(1): 88-‐96.