scholarly journals Virulence and the Environment: a Novel Role for Vibrio cholerae Toxin-Coregulated Pili in Biofilm Formation on Chitin

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (10) ◽  
pp. 3551-3555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma Reguera ◽  
Roberto Kolter
Keyword(s):  
Cholera Toxin ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Intestinal Colonization ◽  
Host Colonization ◽  
Ecological Fitness ◽  
Bacterial Interactions ◽  
Colonization Factor ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Toxin Coregulated Pilus

ABSTRACT The toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) of Vibrio cholerae is required for intestinal colonization and cholera toxin acquisition. Here we report that TCP mediates bacterial interactions required for biofilm differentiation on chitinaceous surfaces. We also show that undifferentiated TCP− biofilms have reduced ecological fitness and, thus, that chitin colonization may represent an ecological setting outside the host in which selection for a host colonization factor may take place.

scholarly journals Pathogenic Potential of Environmental Vibrio cholerae Strains Carrying Genetic Variants of the Toxin-Coregulated Pilus Pathogenicity Island

2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 1020-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shah M. Faruque ◽  
M. Kamruzzaman ◽  
Ismail M. Meraj ◽  
Nityananda Chowdhury ◽  
G. Balakrish Nair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Pathogenicity Island ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Colonization Factor ◽  
Evolution Of Virulence ◽  
Toxin Coregulated Pilus ◽  
El Tor

ABSTRACT The major virulence factors of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae are cholera toxin (CT), which is encoded by a lysogenic bacteriophage (CTXΦ), and toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP), an essential colonization factor which is also the receptor for CTXΦ. The genes for the biosynthesis of TCP are part of a larger genetic element known as the TCP pathogenicity island. To assess their pathogenic potential, we analyzed environmental strains of V. cholerae carrying genetic variants of the TCP pathogenicity island for colonization of infant mice, susceptibility to CTXΦ, and diarrheagenicity in adult rabbits. Analysis of 14 environmental strains, including 3 strains carrying a new allele of the tcpA gene, 9 strains carrying a new allele of the toxT gene, and 2 strains carrying conventional tcpA and toxT genes, showed that all strains colonized infant mice with various efficiencies in competition with a control El Tor biotype strain of V. cholerae O1. Five of the 14 strains were susceptible to CTXΦ, and these transductants produced CT and caused diarrhea in adult rabbits. These results suggested that the new alleles of the tcpA and toxT genes found in environmental strains of V. cholerae encode biologically active gene products. Detection of functional homologs of the TCP island genes in environmental strains may have implications for understanding the origin and evolution of virulence genes of V. cholerae.

scholarly journals Examination of Diverse Toxin-Coregulated Pilus-Positive Vibrio cholerae Strains Fails To Demonstrate Evidence for Vibrio Pathogenicity Island Phage

2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 2993-2999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shah M. Faruque ◽  
Jun Zhu ◽  
Asadulghani ◽  
M. Kamruzzaman ◽  
John J. Mekalanos
Keyword(s):  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Horizontal Transfer ◽  
Pathogenicity Island ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Filamentous Phage ◽  
Colonization Factor ◽  
Toxin Coregulated Pilus ◽  
El Tor

ABSTRACT The major virulence factors of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae are cholera toxin, which is encoded by a lysogenic filamentous bacteriophage (CTXΦ), and toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP), an essential colonization factor that is also the receptor for CTXΦ. The genes involved in the biosynthesis of TCP reside in a pathogenicity island, which has been reported to correspond to the genome of another filamentous phage (designated VPIΦ) and to encode functions necessary for the production of infectious VPIΦ particles. We examined 46 V. cholerae strains having diverse origins and carrying different genetic variants of the TCP island for the production of the VPIΦ and CTXΦ in different culture conditions, including induction of prophages with mitomycin C and UV irradiation. Although 9 of 10 V. cholerae O139 strains and 12 of 15 toxigenic El Tor strains tested produced extracellular CTXΦ, none of the 46 TCP-positive strains produced detectable VPIΦ in repeated assays, which detected as few as 10 particles of a control CTX phage per ml. These results contradict the previous report regarding VPIΦ-mediated horizontal transfer of the TCP genes and suggest that the TCP island is unable to support the production of phage particles. Further studies are necessary to understand the mechanism of horizontal transfer of the TCP island.

scholarly journals Sugar-mediated regulation of a c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase in Vibrio cholerae

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoo Heo ◽  
Young-Ha Park ◽  
Kyung-Ah Lee ◽  
Joonwon Kim ◽  
Hyeong-In Ham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Phosphotransferase System ◽  
Host Colonization ◽  
Host Immune Responses ◽  
Gut Colonization ◽  
Host Diet ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cyclic Dinucleotide

AbstractBiofilm formation protects bacteria from stresses including antibiotics and host immune responses. Carbon sources can modulate biofilm formation and host colonization in Vibrio cholerae, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that EIIAGlc, a component of the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP):carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS), regulates the intracellular concentration of the cyclic dinucleotide c-di-GMP, and thus biofilm formation. The availability of preferred sugars such as glucose affects EIIAGlc phosphorylation state, which in turn modulates the interaction of EIIAGlc with a c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase (hereafter referred to as PdeS). In a Drosophila model of V. cholerae infection, sugars in the host diet regulate gut colonization in a manner dependent on the PdeS-EIIAGlc interaction. Our results shed light into the mechanisms by which some nutrients regulate biofilm formation and host colonization.

scholarly journals Temporal Quorum-Sensing Induction Regulates Vibrio cholerae Biofilm Architecture

2006 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Liu ◽  
Fiona R. Stirling ◽  
Jun Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
High Cell Density ◽  
Intestinal Colonization ◽  
Signal Molecule ◽  
Biofilm Thickness ◽  
Sensing Systems ◽  
Biofilm Detachment ◽  
Biofilm Architecture

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae, the pathogen that causes cholera, also survives in aqueous reservoirs, probably in the form of biofilms. Quorum sensing negatively regulates V. cholerae biofilm formation through HapR, whose expression is induced at a high cell density. In this study, we show that the concentration of the quorum-sensing signal molecule CAI-1 is higher in biofilms than in planktonic cultures. By measuring hapR expression and activity, we found that the induction of quorum sensing in biofilm-associated cells occurs earlier. We further demonstrate that the timing of hapR expression is crucial for biofilm thickness, biofilm detachment rates, and intestinal colonization efficiency. These results suggest that V. cholerae is able to regulate its biofilm architecture by temporal induction of quorum-sensing systems.

scholarly journals Type III Secretion Is Essential for the Rapidly Fatal Diarrheal Disease Caused by Non-O1, Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae

mBio ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ok S. Shin ◽  
Vincent C. Tam ◽  
Masato Suzuki ◽  
Jennifer M. Ritchie ◽  
Roderick T. Bronson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cholera Toxin ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Intestinal Epithelium ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Severe Diarrhea ◽  
Toxin Coregulated Pilus

ABSTRACTCholera is a severe diarrheal disease typically caused by O1 serogroup strains ofVibrio cholerae. The pathogenicity of all pandemicV. choleraeO1 strains relies on two critical virulence factors: cholera toxin, a potent enterotoxin, and toxin coregulated pilus (TCP), an intestinal colonization factor. However, certain non-O1, non-O139V. choleraestrains, such as AM-19226, do not produce cholera toxin or TCP, yet they still cause severe diarrhea. The molecular basis for the pathogenicity of non-O1, non-O139V. choleraehas not been extensively characterized, but many of these strains encode related type III secretion systems (TTSSs). Here, we used infant rabbits to assess the contribution of the TTSS to non-O1, non-O139V. choleraepathogenicity. We found that all animals infected with wild-type AM-19226 developed severe diarrhea even more rapidly than rabbits infected withV. choleraeO1. UnlikeV. choleraeO1 strains, which do not damage the intestinal epithelium in rabbits or humans, AM-19226 caused marked disruptions of the epithelial surface in the rabbit small intestine. TTSS proved to be essential for AM-19226 virulence in infant rabbits; an AM-19226 derivative deficient for TTSS did not elicit diarrhea, colonize the intestine, or induce pathological changes in the intestine. Deletion of either one of the two previously identified or two newly identified AM-19226 TTSS effectors reduced but did not eliminate AM-19226 pathogenicity, suggesting that at least four effectors contribute to this strain’s virulence. In aggregate, our results suggest that the TTSS-dependent virulence in non-O1, non-O139V. choleraerepresents a new type of diarrheagenic mechanism.IMPORTANCECholera, which is caused byVibrio cholerae, is an important cause of diarrheal disease in many developing countries. The mechanisms of virulence of nonpandemic strains that can cause a diarrheal illness are poorly understood. AM-19226, like several other pathogenic, nonpandemicV. choleraestrains, carries genes that encode a type III secretion system (TTSS), but not cholera toxin (CT) or toxin coregulated pilus (TCP). In this study, we used infant rabbits to study AM-19226 virulence. Infant rabbits orally inoculated with this strain rapidly developed a fatal diarrheal disease, which was accompanied by marked disruptions of the intestinal epithelium. This strain’s TTSS proved essential for its pathogenicity, and there was no diarrhea, intestinal pathology, or colonization in rabbits infected with a TTSS mutant. The effector proteins translocated by the TTSS all appear to contribute to AM-19226 virulence. Thus, our study provides insight intoin vivomechanisms by which a novel TTSS contributes to diarrheal disease caused by nonpandemic strains ofV. cholerae.

scholarly journals TcpF Is a Soluble Colonization Factor and Protective Antigen Secreted by El Tor and Classical O1 and O139 Vibrio cholerae Serogroups

2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 4461-4470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Kirn ◽  
Ronald K. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Cholera Vaccine ◽  
Infant Mouse ◽  
Bacterial Interactions ◽  
Secretion Pathway ◽  
Extracellular Secretion ◽  
Colonization Factor ◽  
El Tor

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae causes diarrhea by colonizing the human small bowel and intoxicating epithelial cells. Colonization is a required step in pathogenesis, and strains defective for colonization are significantly attenuated. The best-characterized V. cholerae colonization factor is the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP). It has been demonstrated that TCP is required for V. cholerae colonization in both humans and mice. TCP enhances bacterial interactions that allow microcolony formation and thereby promotes survival in the intestine. We have recently discovered that the TCP biogenesis apparatus also serves as a secretion system, mediating the terminal step in the extracellular secretion pathway of TcpF. TcpF was identified in classical isolates of V. cholerae O1 as a soluble factor essential for colonization in the infant mouse cholera model. In the present study, we expanded our analysis of TcpF to include the O1 El Tor and O139 serogroups and investigated how TCP and TcpF act together to mediate colonization. Additionally, we demonstrated that antibodies generated against TcpF are protective against experimental V. cholerae infection in the infant mouse cholera model. This observation, coupled with the fact that TcpF is a potent mediator of colonization, suggests that TcpF should be considered as a component of a polyvalent cholera vaccine formulation.

scholarly journals Lipidation of an FlrC-Dependent Protein Is Required for Enhanced Intestinal Colonization by Vibrio cholerae

2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Morris ◽  
Fen Peng ◽  
Jeffrey R. Barker ◽  
Karl E. Klose
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Intestinal Colonization ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Colonization Factor ◽  
Dependent Protein ◽  
Fusion Analysis ◽  
Flagellar Genes

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, has a sheathed, polar flagellum, and motility has been linked to virulence. An operon with two genes, flgO and flgP (VC2207 and VC2206), is positively regulated by FlrC, the activator of class III flagellar genes. Deletion of flgP results in a nonmotile phenotype, demonstrating the requirement of this gene for V. cholerae motility. V. cholerae ΔflgP cells synthesize fragile and defective flagella but transcribe flagellar genes similar to the wild-type strain. PhoA fusion analysis indicated that the putative lipoprotein FlgP is localized external to the cytoplasm, and fractionation demonstrated that it was localized to the outer membrane. Mutagenesis of the site of lipidation of FlgP (C18G) prevented [3H]palmitate incorporation and outer membrane localization. Interestingly, FlgP with the mutation C18G [FlgP(C18G)] could complement the ΔflgP mutant for motility, and the cells synthesized wild-type flagella. The ΔflgP mutant strain was defective for intestinal colonization (∼20-fold), but FlgP(C18G) was unable to complement this defect, demonstrating that lipidation of FlgP is essential for its role in intestinal colonization but not flagellar synthesis. FlgP thus represents a novel V. cholerae intestinal colonization factor that is regulated by the flagellar transcription hierarchy.

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