Invasive properties of toxigenic and nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae of different serogroups

Experimental data on the comparative study of the invasive properties of vct+ Hly- and vct- Hly+ V. cholerae of serogroups 01 and 0139 are presented. Both vct- Hly+ and vct+ Hly- V. cholerae of serogroups 01 and 0139 have been shown to be capable of dissemination into internal organs. No differences in the dissemination of V. cholerae of different serogroups in both immunologically immature and mature experimental animals have been detected.     

Genetic diversity of toxigenic and nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 and O139 revealed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization

Toxigenic serogroups O1 and O139 of Vibrio cholerae may cause cholera epidemics or pandemics. Nontoxigenic strains within these serogroups also exist in the environment, and also some may cause sporadic cases of disease. Herein, we investigate the genomic diversity among toxigenic and nontoxigenic O1 and O139 strains by comparative genomic microarray hybridization with the genome of El Tor strain N16961 as a base. Conservation of the toxigenic O1 El Tor and O139 strains is found as previously reported, whereas accumulation of genome changes was documented in toxigenic El Tor strains isolated within the 40 years of the seventh pandemic. High phylogenetic diversity in nontoxigenic O1 and O139 strains is observed, and most of the genes absent from nontoxigenic strains are clustered together in the N16961 genome. By comparing these toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains, we observed that the small chromosome of V. cholerae is quite conservative and stable, outside of the superintegron region. In contrast to the general stability of the genome, the superintegron demonstrates pronounced divergence among toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains. Additionally, sequence variation in virulence-related genes is found in nontoxigenic El Tor strains, and we speculate that these intermediate strains may have pathogenic potential should they acquire CTX prophage alleles and other gene clusters. This genome-wide comparison of toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae strains may promote understanding of clonal differentiation of V. cholerae and contribute to an understanding of the origins and clonal selection of epidemic strains.     

产毒和非产毒霍乱弧菌在甘露醇 和Luria-Bertani培养液中的基因表达差异

摘要：【目的】分析霍乱弧菌产毒株和非产毒株在甘露醇发酵液和LB (Luria-Bertani) 培养液中生长的基因表达谱和代谢差异特征。【方法】提取甘露醇发酵液和LB培养液中霍乱弧菌甘露醇慢发酵株（产毒株）N16961和快发酵株（非产毒株）93097生长第一小时的总RNA,应用霍乱弧菌N16961基因组芯片分析各菌株在不同培养液中的表达差异基因。【结果】 筛选出产毒株N16961在甘露醇发酵液和LB中表达差异基因142个,非产毒株93097有418个,这些表达差异基因主要分属于6个不同的功能类群,主要是转运结合、能量代谢以及蛋白质合成代谢功能。【结论】甘露醇发酵液和LB中产毒株和非产毒株的许多功能基因的转录水平有显著差异,这些表达差异基因可能与霍乱弧菌在甘露醇发酵液中代谢产酸有关,这为进一步分析霍乱弧菌代谢甘露醇的机制、以及分析产毒株与非产毒株的甘露醇发酵快慢机制提供了基础。     

Hemolytic activity of Vibrio cholerae eltor and V. cholerae O139 toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains

A total of 20 ctx- and 16 ctx+ V. cholerae eltor strains, 20 ctx- and 22 ctx+ V. cholerae O139 strains were under study. Hemolytic activity was tested in modified Greig test with sheep, guinea pig and rabbit red blood cells. The comparative study of the hemolytic properties of V. cholerae O1 and O139 under different conditions of cultivation demonstrated their capacity of lysing sheep red blood cells (SRBC) irrespective of the presence of toxigenic properties. A wider spectrum of lytic activity of ctx- strains in Greig test with respect to red blood cells of different animals and the capacity of lysing SRBC, most resistant to the action of toxin, may be due to a considerably greater content of Hly+ clones in their population.     

产毒和非产毒霍乱弧菌在甘露醇发酵液和Luria-Bertani培养液中的基因表达差异

[目的]分析霍乱弧菌产毒株和非产毒株在甘露醇发酵液和LB(Luria-Bertani)培养液中生长的基因表达谱和代谢差异特征.[方法]提取甘露醇发酵液和LB培养液中霍乱弧菌甘露醇慢发酵株(产毒株)N16961和快发酵株(非产毒株)93097生长第一小时的总RNA,应用霍乱弧菌N16961基因组芯片分析各菌株在不同培养液中的表达差异基因.[结果]筛选出产毒株N16961在甘露醇发酵液和LB中表达差异基因142个,非产毒株93097有418个,这些表达差异基因主要分属于6个不同的功能类群,主要是转运结合、能量代谢以及蛋白质合成代谢功能.[结论]甘露醇发酵液和LB中产毒株和非产毒株的许多功能基因的转录水平有显著差异,这些表达差异基因可能与霍乱弧菌在甘露醇发酵液中代谢产酸有关,这为进一步分析霍乱弧菌代谢甘露醇的机制、以及分析产毒株与非产毒株的甘露醇发酵快慢机制提供了基础.     

Hemolytic activity and toxigenicity of Vibrio cholerae of different serogroups

Experimental data on the comparative evaluation of the hemolytic activity of ctx+ Hly- and ctx- Hly+ V. cholerae, serogroups O1 and O139, in the process of their cultivation in different nutrient media are presented. The capacity of ctx+ V. cholerae of both serogroups cultivated under the conditions of iron deficiency, for the production of hemolysin capable of lyzing sheep red blood cells was shown. Hemolysin produced by ctx- strains of V. cholerae was synthesized under any conditions. The study of hemolysin preparations obtained from ctx- and ctx+ strains of V. cholerae, serogroups O1 and O139, revealed that they were biologically and immunologically similar.     

Molecular ecology of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of cholera, an acute dehydrating diarrhea that occurs in epidemic form in many developing countries. Although V. cholerae is a human pathogen, aquatic ecosystems are major habitats of Vibrio species, which includes both pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains that vary in their virulence gene content. V. cholerae belonging to the 01 and 0139 serogroups is commonly known to carry a set of virulence genes necessary for pathogenesis in humans. Recent studies have indicated that virulence genes or their homologues are also dispersed among environmental strains of V. cholerae belonging to diverse serogroups, which appear to constitute an environmental reservoir of virulence genes. Although the definitive roles of the virulence-associated factors in the environment, and the environmental selection pressures for V. cholerae-carrying virulence genes or their homologues is not clear, the potential for origination of new epidemic strains from environmental progenitors seems real. It is likely that the aquatic environment harbors different virulence-associated genes scattered among environmental vibrios, which possess a lower virulence potential than the epidemic strains. The ecosystem comprising the aquatic environment, V. cholerae, genetic elements mediating gene transfer, and the mammalian host appears to support the clustering of critical virulence genes in a proper combination leading to the origination of new V. cholerae strains with epidemic potential.     

Proteins involved in difference of sorbitol fermentation rates of the toxigenic and nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae El Tor strains revealed by comparative proteome analysis

Background  

The nontoxigenic V. cholerae El Tor strains ferment sorbitol faster than the toxigenic strains, hence fast-fermenting and slow-fermenting strains are defined by sorbitol fermentation test. This test has been used for more than 40 years in cholera surveillance and strain analysis in China. Understanding of the mechanisms of sorbitol metabolism of the toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains may help to explore the genome and metabolism divergence in these strains. Here we used comparative proteomic analysis to find the proteins which may be involved in such metabolic difference.     

Mapping of a gene that regulates hemolysin production in Vibrio cholerae.

A gene that regulates the hemolysin structural gene (hly) was found to be tightly linked to the tox-1000 locus of Vibrio cholerae RJ1 and separated from hly by a large section of the V. cholerae genetic map. This hemolysin regulatory gene was designated hlyR.     

Production by non-O1 Vibrio cholerae of hemolysin related to thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Abstract The production by non-O1 Vibrio cholerae of a hemolysin immunologically related to the thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a double gel diffusion test. Although results by the double gel diffusion test suggested the immunological identities of TDH and the TDH-related hemolysin of non-O1 V. cholerae , conventional polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis suggested some differences between the two, at least with respect to charge. The TDH-related hemolysin of non-O1 V. cholerae was also shown to differ from the hemolysin of non-O1 V. cholerae reported previously.     

Genetics of stress adaptation and virulence in toxigenic Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae, a Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the gamma-subdivision of the family Proteobacteriaceae is the etiologic agent of cholera, a devastating diarrheal disease which occurs frequently as epidemics. Any bacterial species encountering a broad spectrum of environments during the course of its life cycle is likely to develop complex regulatory systems and stress adaptation mechanisms to best survive in each environment encountered. Toxigenic V. cholerae, which has evolved from environmental nonpathogenic V. cholerae by acquisition of virulence genes, represents a paradigm for this process in that this organism naturally exists in an aquatic environment but infects human beings and cause cholera. The V. cholerae genome, which is comprised of two independent circular mega-replicons, carries the genetic determinants for the bacterium to survive both in an aquatic environment as well as in the human intestinal environment. Pathogenesis of V. cholerae involves coordinated expression of different sets of virulence associated genes, and the synergistic action of their gene products. Although the acquisition of major virulence genes and association between V. cholerae and its human host appears to be recent, and reflects a simple pathogenic strategy, the establishment of a productive infection involves the expression of many more genes that are crucial for survival and adaptation of the bacterium in the host, as well as for its onward transmission and epidemic spread. While a few of the virulence gene clusters involved directly with cholera pathogenesis have been characterized, the potential exists for identification of yet new genes which may influence the stress adaptation, pathogenesis, and epidemiological characteristics of V. cholerae. Coevolution of bacteria and mobile genetic elements (plasmids, transposons, pathogenicity islands, and phages) can determine environmental survival and pathogenic interactions between bacteria and their hosts. Besides horizontal gene transfer mediated by genetic elements and phages, the evolution of pathogenic V. cholerae involves a combination of selection mechanisms both in the host and in the environment. The occurrence of periodic epidemics of cholera in endemic areas appear to enhance this process.     

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction to detect toxigenic Vibrio cholerae and to biotype Vibrio cholerae O1

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed to identify cholera toxin-producing Vibrio cholerae and to biotype V. cholerae O1. Enterotoxin-producing V. cholerae strains were identified with a primer pair that amplified a fragment of the ctxA2-B gene. Vibrio cholerae O1 strains were simultaneously differentiated into biotypes with three primers specified for the hlyA gene in the same reaction. The hlyA amplicon in the multiplex PCR serves as an internal control when testing toxin-producing strains, as hlyA gene sequences exist in all tested V. cholerae strains. Enrichment of V. cholerae present on oysters for 6 h in alkaline peptone water before detection by a nested PCR with internal primers for ctxA2-B gene yielded a detection limit lower than 3 colony-forming units (cfu) per gram of food.     

An aberrant hemolysin of Vibrio cholerae non-O1.

An aberrant hemolysin produced by a Vibrio cholerae non-O1 strain N037 (N037-hly) was purified and characterized. N037-Hly was antigenically very similar to El Tor hemolysin but differed in molecular weight (48,000 vs. 60,000), interaction with glucose, and hemolytic activity. Of 100 V. cholerae non-O1 strains other than the N037 strain examined, none produced this aberrant hemolysin. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of N037-hly was highly homologous to that of El Tor hemolysin.     

Unfolding of Vibrio cholerae hemolysin induces oligomerization of the toxin monomer

Vibrio cholerae hemolysin (HlyA) is a pore-forming toxin that exists in two stable forms: a hemolytically active water-soluble monomer with a native molecular weight of 65,000 and a hemolytically inactive SDS-stable heptamer with the configuration of a transmembrane diffusion channel. Transformation of the monomer into the oligomer is spontaneous but very slow in the absence of interaction with specific membrane components like cholesterol and sphingolipids. In this report, we show that mild disruption of the native tertiary structure of HlyA by 1.75 M urea triggered rapid and quantitative conversion of the monomer to an oligomer. Furthermore, the HlyA monomer when unfolded in 8 M urea refolded and reconstituted on renaturation into the oligomer biochemically and functionally similar to the heptamer formed in target lipid bilayer, suggesting that the HlyA polypeptide had a strong propensity to adopt the oligomer as the stable native state in preference to the monomer. On the basis of our results, we propose that (a) the hemolytically active HlyA monomer represents a quasi-stable conformation corresponding to a local free energy minimum and the transmembrane heptameric pore represents a stable conformation corresponding to an absolute free energy minimum and (b) any perturbation of the native tertiary structure of the HlyA monomer causing relaxation of conformational constraints tends to promote self-assembly to the oligomer with membrane components playing at most an accessory role.     

Comparative pathomorphological assessment of the action of Vibrio cholerae serogroups 01 and 0139

The pathomorphological picture of experimental infection caused by the infective agent of cholera was shown to have some specific features observed in infections caused by vibrios belonging to the serogroups under study. Infection caused by V. cholerae of serogroup O139 induced some morphological changes in the gastrointestinal tract which were quite characteristic of this disease, but inflammatory changes with the prevalence of proliferative infiltrative processes came to the foreground simultaneously with less developed processes of edema and dystrophic lesions of enterocytes. These specific morphological features in animals infected with V. cholerae of serogroup O139 appeared to be probably due to the production of new surface structures by these strains.     

Comparative characteristics of the preparations of hemolysin of ctx+ and ctx- Vibrio cholerae eltor and Vibrio cholerae O139 strains

Hemolysin of ctx+ Vibrio cholerae strains was obtained and studied. Ctx+ Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 strains produced the hemolysin during cultivation in triptone medium without FeCl3. Mol.wt. and the spectrum of lytic activities of hemolysins of ctx+ Vibrio cholerae did not differ from hemolysins of ctx- strains.     

High-frequency rugose exopolysaccharide production by Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae can shift to a "rugose" phenotype, thereby producing copious exopolysaccharide (EPS), which promotes its environmental survival and persistence. We report conditions that promote high-frequency rugose EPS production (HFRP), whereby cells switch at high frequency (up to 80%) to rugose EPS production. HFRP appeared to be more common in clinical strains, as HFRP was found in 6 of 19 clinical strains (32%) (including classical, El Tor, and non-O1 strains) but in only 1 of 16 environmental strains (6%). Differences were found between strains in rugose colony morphology, conditions promoting HFRP, the frequency of rugose-to-smooth (R-S) cell reversion, and biofilm formation. We propose that rugose EPS and HFRP provide an evolutionary and adaptive advantage to specific epidemic V. cholerae strains for increased persistence in the environment.