Role of PhoB in the life cycle of pathogenic Vibrio cholerae.

摘要

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera, is able to survive and thrive in two disparate environments, the aquatic ecosystem and the host small intestine. Successful transitions between these two environments are dependent upon tight regulation of genes required for survival in specific conditions. Here we show that the Phosphate (Pho) regulon is required for survival in both the aquatic and host environments and that maintenance of proper regulation by the response regulator PhoB is critical. Additionally, we identify novel members of the V. cholerae Pho regulon, including virulence and cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) metabolism genes. Thus, inorganic phosphate (Pi) serves as both an environmental and host signal for V. cholerae and the Pho regulon represents a gene set essential to pathogenic V. cholerae throughout its life cycle.