The Vibrio cholerae flagellar regulatory hierarchy controls expression of virulence factors.

ABSTRACT: Vibrio cholerae is a motile bacterium responsible for the disease cholera, and motility has been hypothesized to be inversely regulated with virulence. We examined the transcription profiles of V. cholerae strains containing mutations in flagellar regulatory genes (rpoN, flrA, flrC, and fliA) by utilizing whole-genome microarrays. Results revealed that flagellar transcription is organized into a four-tiered hierarchy. Additionally, genes with proven or putative roles in virulence (e.g., ctx, tcp, hemolysin, and type VI secretion genes) were upregulated in flagellar regulatory mutants, which was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Flagellar regulatory mutants exhibit increased hemolysis of human erythrocytes, which was due to increased transcription of the thermolabile hemo

SUBMITTER: Syed KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2795290 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature