Loss of the Acetate Switch in Vibrio vulnificus Enhances Predation Defense against Tetrahymena pyriformis.

ABSTRACT: Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen and autochthonous inhabitant of coastal marine environments, where the bacterium is under constant predation by heterotrophic protists or protozoans. As a result of this selection pressure, genetic variants with antipredation mechanisms are selected for and persist in the environment. Such natural variants may also be pathogenic to animal or human hosts, making it important to understand these defense mechanisms. To identify antipredator strategies, 13 V. vulnificus strains of different genotypes isolated from diverse environments were exposed to predation by the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis, and only strain ENV1 was resistant to predation. Further investigation of the cell-free supernatant showed that ENV1 acidifies the env

SUBMITTER: Rasheedkhan Regina V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8788688 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature