Open AccessMolecular characterisation of rough strains of Vibrio cholerae isolated from diarrhoeal cases in India and their comparison to smooth strains
Author(s) -
De Keya,
Ramamurthy Thandavarayan,
Faruque Shah M,
Yamasaki Shinji,
Takeda Yoshifumi,
Nair G.Balakrish,
Nandy Ranjan K
Publication year - 2004
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/s0378-1097(04)00013-8
Subject(s) - vibrio cholerae , serotype , virulence , cholera toxin , cholera , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , phenotype , gene , toxin , strain (injury) , enterotoxin , genetics , bacteria , escherichia coli , anatomy
Sixteen of the 18 Vibrio cholerae rough strains isolated from hospitalised diarrhoea patients were found to contain O1 serotype‐specific ( wbe ) genes and all currently known virulence genes. Expression of the regulatory element ToxR was evident in these strains. Cholera toxin production ability of the rough strains was found to be higher (c. three‐ to five‐fold) as compared to the smooth counterparts and this was transcriptionally regulated. Strains exhibiting the rough phenotype were more amenable to the uptake of CTXφ, which led us to consider that the rough phenotype could play a role in the generation of genetic diversity among V. cholerae strains.