This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lauriano, C. M. Articles by Klose, K. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lauriano, C. M. Articles by Klose, K. E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, August 2004, p. 4864-4874, Vol. 186, No. 15
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.15.4864-4874.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Sodium-Driven Flagellar Motor Controls Exopolysaccharide Expression in Vibrio cholerae

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900

Received 8 March 2004/ Accepted 26 March 2004

Vibrio cholerae causes the life-threatening diarrheal disease cholera. This organism persists in aquatic environments in areas of endemicity, and it is believed that the ability of the bacteria to form biofilms in the environment contributes to their persistence. Expression of an exopolysaccharide (EPS), encoded by two vps gene clusters, is essential for biofilm formation and causes a rugose colonial phenotype. We previously reported that the lack of a flagellum induces V. cholerae EPS expression. To uncover the signaling pathway that links the lack of a flagellum to EPS expression, we introduced into a rugose flaA strain second-site mutations that would cause reversion back to the smooth phenotype. Interestingly, mutation of the genes encoding the sodium-driven motor (mot) in a nonflagellated strain reduces EPS expression, biofilm formation, and vps gene transcription, as does the addition of phenamil, which specifically inhibits the sodium-driven motor. Mutation of vpsR, which encodes a response regulator, also reduces EPS expression, biofilm formation, and vps gene transcription in nonflagellated cells. Complementation of a vpsR strain with a constitutive vpsR allele likely to mimic the phosphorylated state (D59E) restores EPS expression and biofilm formation, while complementation with an allele predicted to remain unphosphorylated (D59A) does not. Our results demonstrate the involvement of the sodium-driven motor and suggest the involvement of phospho-VpsR in the signaling cascade that induces EPS expression. A nonflagellated strain expressing EPS is defective for intestinal colonization in the suckling mouse model of cholera and expresses reduced amounts of cholera toxin and toxin-coregulated pili in vitro. Wild-type levels of virulence factor expression and colonization could be restored by a second mutation within the vps gene cluster that eliminated EPS biosynthesis. These results demonstrate a complex relationship between the flagellum-dependent EPS signaling cascade and virulence.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Darnell, C. L., Hussa, E. A., Visick, K. L. (2008). The Putative Hybrid Sensor Kinase SypF Coordinates Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri by Acting Upstream of Two Response Regulators, SypG and VpsR. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4941-4950 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tamayo, R., Schild, S., Pratt, J. T., Camilli, A. (2008). Role of Cyclic Di-GMP during El Tor Biotype Vibrio cholerae Infection: Characterization of the In Vivo-Induced Cyclic Di-GMP Phosphodiesterase CdpA. Infect. Immun. 76: 1617-1627 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Morris, D. C., Peng, F., Barker, J. R., Klose, K. E. (2008). Lipidation of an FlrC-Dependent Protein Is Required for Enhanced Intestinal Colonization by Vibrio cholerae. J. Bacteriol. 190: 231-239 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Liang, W., Silva, A. J., Benitez, J. A. (2007). The Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein Modulates Colonial Morphology in Vibrio cholerae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7482-7487 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tart, A. H., Blanks, M. J., Wozniak, D. J. (2006). The AlgT-Dependent Transcriptional Regulator AmrZ (AlgZ) Inhibits Flagellum Biosynthesis in Mucoid, Nonmotile Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cystic Fibrosis Isolates.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 6483-6489 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Levi, A., Jenal, U. (2006). Holdfast Formation in Motile Swarmer Cells Optimizes Surface Attachment during Caulobacter crescentus Development.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 5315-5318 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Beyhan, S., Tischler, A. D., Camilli, A., Yildiz, F. H. (2006). Transcriptome and Phenotypic Responses of Vibrio cholerae to Increased Cyclic di-GMP Level.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 3600-3613 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Silva, A. J., Leitch, G. J., Camilli, A., Benitez, J. A. (2006). Contribution of Hemagglutinin/Protease and Motility to the Pathogenesis of El Tor Biotype Cholera. Infect. Immun. 74: 2072-2079 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Karatan, E., Duncan, T. R., Watnick, P. I. (2005). NspS, a Predicted Polyamine Sensor, Mediates Activation of Vibrio cholerae Biofilm Formation by Norspermidine. J. Bacteriol. 187: 7434-7443 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Correa, N. E., Peng, F., Klose, K. E. (2005). Roles of the Regulatory Proteins FlhF and FlhG in the Vibrio cholerae Flagellar Transcription Hierarchy. J. Bacteriol. 187: 6324-6332 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mey, A. R., Craig, S. A., Payne, S. M. (2005). Characterization of Vibrio cholerae RyhB: the RyhB Regulon and Role of ryhB in Biofilm Formation. Infect. Immun. 73: 5706-5719 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Entcheva-Dimitrov, P., Spormann, A. M. (2004). Dynamics and Control of Biofilms of the Oligotrophic Bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. J. Bacteriol. 186: 8254-8266 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Heithoff, D. M., Mahan, M. J. (2004). Vibrio cholerae Biofilms: Stuck between a Rock and a Hard Place. J. Bacteriol. 186: 4835-4837 [Full Text]