Effects of flaC Mutation on Stringent Response-Mediated Bacterial Growth, Toxin Production, and Motility in Vibrio cholerae

J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2018 May 28;28(5):816-820. doi: 10.4014/jmb.1712.12040.

Abstract

The stringent response (SR), which is activated by accumulation of (p)ppGpp under conditions of growth-inhibiting stresses, plays an important role on growth and virulence in Vibrio cholerae. Herein, we carried out a genome-wide screen using transposon random mutagenesis to identify genes controlled by SR in a (p)ppGpp-overproducing mutant strain. One of the identified SR target genes was flaC encoding flagellin. Genetic studies using flaC and SR mutants demonstrated that FlaC was involved in bacterial growth, toxin production, and normal flagellum function under conditions of high (p)ppGpp levels, suggesting FlaC plays an important role in SR-induced pathogenicity in V. cholerae.

Keywords: (p)ppGpp; Vibrio cholerae; cholera toxin; flaC; motility; stringent response.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cholera Toxin / genetics
  • Cholera Toxin / metabolism
  • Flagellin / genetics*
  • Flagellin / metabolism
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Vibrio cholerae* / genetics
  • Vibrio cholerae* / metabolism
  • Vibrio cholerae* / pathogenicity
  • Virulence / genetics

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Flagellin
  • Cholera Toxin