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Molecular analysis of rugosity in a Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor phase variant
Author(s) -
Yildiz Fitnat H.,
Liu Xiaole S.,
Heydorn Arne,
Schoolnik Gary K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04154.x
Subject(s) - biology , vibrio cholerae , phase variation , biofilm , rpos , rugosity , gene , phenotype , mutant , gene expression profiling , pilus , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , quorum sensing , gene expression , bacteria , virulence , promoter , ecology , habitat
Summary Reversible phase variation between the rugose and smooth colony variants is predicted to be important for the survival of Vibrio cholerae in natural aquatic habitats. Microarray expression profiling studies of the rugose and smooth variants of the same strain led to the identification of 124 differentially regulated genes. Further expression profiling experiments showed how these genes are regulated by the VpsR and HapR transcription factors, which, respectively, positively and negatively regulate production of VPS El Tor , a rugose‐associated extracellular polysaccharide. The study of mutants of rpoN and rpoS demonstrated the effects of these alternative sigma factors on phase variation‐specific gene expression. Bioinformatics analysis of these expression data shows that ‘rugosity’ and ‘smoothness’ are determined by a complex hierarchy of positive and negative regulators, which also affect the biofilm, surface hydrophobicity and motility phenotypes of the organism.