Open AccessEssential role of an adenylate cyclase in regulating Vibrio vulnificus virulence
Author(s) -
Kim Young Ran,
Kim Soo Young,
Kim Choon Mee,
Lee Shee Eun,
Rhee Joon Haeng
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.01.016
Subject(s) - vibrio vulnificus , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , mutant , biology , vibrionaceae , vibrio cholerae , plasmid , virulence factor , vibrio infections , gene , bacteria , genetics
Vibrio vulnificus , a halophilic estuarine bacterium, causes a fatal septicemia and necrotizing wound infection. To investigate the role of cAMP in V. vulnificus virulence regulation, an in‐frame deletion mutant of the cya gene encoding adenylate cyclase was constructed. The cya null mutation resulted in a pleiotropic change of virulence phenotypes. The production of hemolysin and protease, the motility, and the cytotoxicity were decreased by the cya mutation. The defects in the cya mutant were functionally complemented in trans by a plasmid carrying the wild type cya allele. The V. vulnificus cya mutant exhibited a 100‐fold increase in LD 50 to mice. The result indicates that cAMP plays an essential role in the global regulation of V. vulnificus virulence.