Species-Specific Quorum Sensing Represses the Chitobiose Utilization Locus in Vibrio cholerae

Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology..

The marine facultative pathogen Vibrio cholerae forms complex multicellular communities on the chitinous shells of crustacean zooplankton in its aquatic reservoir. V. cholerae-chitin interactions are critical for the growth, evolution, and waterborne transmission of cholera. This is due, in part, to chitin-induced changes in gene expression in this pathogen. Here, we sought to identify factors that influence chitin-induced expression of one locus, the chitobiose utilization operon (chb), which is required for the uptake and catabolism of the chitin disaccharide. Through a series of genetic screens, we identified that the master regulator of quorum sensing, HapR, is a direct repressor of the chb operon. We also found that the levels of HapR in V. cholerae are regulated by the ClpAP protease. Furthermore, we show that the canonical quorum sensing cascade in V. cholerae regulates chb expression in an HapR-dependent manner. Through this analysis, we found that signaling via the species-specific autoinducer CAI-1, but not the interspecies autoinducer AI-2, influences chb expression. This phenomenon of species-specific regulation may enhance the fitness of this pathogen in its environmental niche.IMPORTANCE In nature, bacteria live in multicellular and multispecies communities. Microbial species can sense the density and composition of their community through chemical cues using a process called quorum sensing (QS). The marine pathogen Vibrio cholerae is found in communities on the chitinous shells of crustaceans in its aquatic reservoir. V. cholerae interactions with chitin are critical for the survival, evolution, and waterborne transmission of this pathogen. Here, we show that V. cholerae uses QS to regulate the expression of one locus required for V. cholerae-chitin interactions.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:86

Enthalten in:

Applied and environmental microbiology - 86(2020), 18 vom: 01. Sept.

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Klancher, Catherine A [VerfasserIn]
Newman, Jane D [VerfasserIn]
Ball, Alyssa S [VerfasserIn]
van Kessel, Julia C [VerfasserIn]
Dalia, Ankur B [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

577-76-4
Bacterial Proteins
Chitobiose
Cholera
Disaccharides
Journal Article
Protease
Quorum sensing
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 08.12.2020

Date Revised 02.03.2021

published: Electronic-Print

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1128/AEM.00915-20

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM312279442