The regulatory network of natural competence and transformation of Vibrio cholerae.

ABSTRACT: The human pathogen Vibrio cholerae is an aquatic bacterium frequently encountered in rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal regions. Within these environmental reservoirs, the bacterium is often found associated with zooplankton and more specifically with their chitinous exoskeleton. Upon growth on such chitinous surfaces, V. cholerae initiates a developmental program termed "natural competence for genetic transformation." Natural competence for transformation is a mode of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria and contributes to the maintenance and evolution of bacterial genomes. In this study, we investigated competence gene expression within this organism at the single cell level. We provide evidence that under homogeneous inducing conditions the majority of the cells express competence ge

SUBMITTER: Lo Scrudato M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3380833 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature