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VopE, a Vibrio cholerae Type III Effector, Attenuates the Activation of CWI-MAPK Pathway in Yeast Model System

Leela K Bankapalli1, Rahul C Mishra1, Saumya Raychaudhuri1

  • 1Molecular Biology and Microbial Physiology, Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh, India.

Insights

Vibrio cholerae VopE protein disrupts innate immunity. Researchers found VopE and a variant (VopEΔMTS) impact yeast cell wall integrity signaling, revealing key residues and demonstrating yeast as a model for studying VopE function.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Vibrio cholerae secretes VopE, a type III secretion system (T3SS) effector.
  • VopE targets mitochondria and modulates mitochondrial dynamics, impacting innate immunity.
  • Understanding VopE's cellular functions is crucial for comprehending V cholerae pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the toxicity and cellular effects of VopE in a yeast model system.
  • To elucidate the role of the mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) in VopE toxicity.
  • To identify the specific cellular pathways affected by VopE and its variants.

Main Methods:

  • Ectopic expression of VopE and a VopE variant lacking MTS (VopEΔMTS) in yeast.
  • Assessment of VopE toxicity under various stress conditions.
  • Utilizing yeast genetic tools to analyze the cell wall integrity (CWI-MAPK) signaling pathway.
  • Investigating the effects of co-expressing VopEΔMTS with VopX.

Main Results:

  • Ectopic expression of VopE was toxic in yeast, exacerbated by stressors.
  • VopEΔMTS also induced partial lethality, indicating MTS-independent effects.
  • Both VopE and VopEΔMTS were shown to modulate the CWI-MAPK signaling pathway.
  • Critical residues contributing to VopE lethality were identified.
  • Co-expression of VopEΔMTS and VopX partially suppressed VopX-mediated growth inhibition.

Conclusions:

  • VopE perturbs cellular signaling, specifically impacting the CWI-MAPK pathway.
  • The yeast model system is effective for studying VopE's functional mechanisms.
  • Mitochondrial targeting is not solely responsible for all observed VopE effects.

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