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PhoB regulates both environmental and virulence gene expression in Vibrio cholerae
Author(s) -
Pratt Jason T.,
Ismail Ayman M.,
Camilli Andrew
Publication year - 2010
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.1365-2958.2010.07310.x
Subject(s) - regulon , vibrio cholerae , biology , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , regulation of gene expression , regulator , genetics , facultative , bacteria , ecology
Summary Vibrio cholerae is a facultative pathogen that thrives in two nutritionally disparate environments, aquatic and human small intestine. Phosphate (P i ) is an essential nutrient that is limited in aquatic ecosystems and of unknown availability in the small intestine. Here, we show that the P i (Pho) regulon, which is controlled by the P i ‐specific transporter (Pst) and two‐component system PhoBR, is required for V. cholerae survival in both environments, though for differing reasons. While induction of P i acquisition systems including Pst is critical for survival in the aquatic environment, regulation of virulence genes by PhoB and not P i transport per se is required for colonization of the small intestine. We show that PhoB regulates virulence genes by directly controlling expression of a key upstream transcriptional regulator, tcpPH . Thus, the Pho regulon includes virulence genes and represents a diverse gene set essential to pathogenic V. cholerae throughout its life cycle.