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Vibrio cholerae: Model Organism to Study Bacterial Pathogenesis - Interview
Published on: May 28, 2007
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A Periplasmic Polymer Curves Vibrio cholerae and Promotes Pathogenesis
Thomas M Bartlett1, Benjamin P Bratton2, Amit Duvshani1
1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Cell
|January 14, 2017
Summary
Researchers discovered CrvA, a periskeletal element in Vibrio cholerae, responsible for cell curvature. This finding explains how the bacterium achieves its shape and enhances its motility and pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Bacterial Pathogenesis
Background:
- Pathogenic Vibrio cholerae poses a significant human health risk.
- The characteristic curved rod morphology of V. cholerae and its underlying mechanism were previously unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize the molecular determinants of V. cholerae cell curvature.
- To elucidate the mechanism and functional significance of bacterial cell shape.
Main Methods:
- Identification and characterization of CrvA, a novel curvature determinant.
- Development of QuASAR (quantitative analysis of sacculus architecture remodeling) to measure peptidoglycan dynamics.
- Analysis of crvA quorum regulation and its impact on cell density.
Main Results:
- CrvA self-assembles into periplasmic filaments, acting as a periskeletal element.
- QuASAR revealed CrvA drives asymmetric peptidoglycan insertion, causing cell curvature.
- CrvA expression is quorum-regulated, with increased curvature at high cell densities.
Conclusions:
- CrvA is the first identified determinant of V. cholerae curvature, functioning as a periskeletal element.
- Asymmetric peptidoglycan insertion mediated by CrvA is the mechanism of curvature formation.
- CrvA enhances V. cholerae motility in hydrogels and contributes to host colonization and pathogenesis.
Keywords:
bacterial cytoskeletoncell shapefluorescent D-amino acidspathogenesispeptidoglycanperiskeletonquantitative cell biologyMore Related Videos
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