A Putative Acetylation System in Vibrio cholerae Modulates Virulence in Arthropod Hosts

The bacteriumVibrio cholerae causes severe disease in humans, and strains can persist in the environment in association with a wide diversity of host species. By investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie these interactions, we can better understand constraints affecting the ecology and evolution of this global pathogen. TheDrosophila model ofVibrio cholerae infection has revealed that bacterial regulation of acetate and other small metabolites from within the fly gastrointestinal tract is crucial for its virulence. Here, we demonstrate that genes that may modify the proteome ofV. cholerae affect virulence towardDrosophila , most likely by modulating central metabolic pathways that control the consumption of acetate as well as other small molecules. These findings further highlight the many layers of regulation that tune bacterial metabolism to alter the trajectory of interactions between bacteria and their hosts.