Reduced virulence of the MARTX toxin increases the persistence of outbreak-associated Vibrio vulnificus in host reservoirs.

ABSTRACT: Opportunistic bacteria strategically dampen their virulence to allow them to survive and propagate in hosts. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying virulence control are not clearly understood. Here, we found that the opportunistic pathogen Vibrio vulnificus biotype 3, which caused an outbreak of severe wound and intestinal infections associated with farmed tilapia, secretes significantly less virulent multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) toxin, which is the most critical virulence factor in other clinical Vibrio strains. The biotype 3 MARTX toxin contains a cysteine protease domain (CPD) evolutionarily retaining a unique autocleavage site and a distinct β-flap region. CPD autoproteolytic activity is attenuated following its autocleavage because of the β-flap regio

SUBMITTER: Choi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8191300 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature