The global regulators ArcA and CytR collaboratively modulate Vibrio cholerae motility

Yuehua Li; Junxiang Yan; Xueqian Guo; Xiaochen Wang; Fenxia Liu; Boyang Cao

doi:10.1186/s12866-022-02435-y

The global regulators ArcA and CytR collaboratively modulate Vibrio cholerae motility

BMC Microbiol. 2022 Jan 12;22(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s12866-022-02435-y.

Authors

Yuehua Li^{1

2

3}, Junxiang Yan^{1

2

3}, Xueqian Guo^{1

2

3}, Xiaochen Wang^{1

2

3}, Fenxia Liu^{1

2

3}, Boyang Cao^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, No.23, Hongda Street, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin, 300457, China.
² Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, No.23, Hongda Street Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin, 300457, China.
³ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, TEDA College, Nankai University, No.23, Hongda Street Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin, 300457, China.
⁴ TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, No.23, Hongda Street Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin, 300457, China. boyangcao@nankai.edu.cn.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, No.23, Hongda Street Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin, 300457, China. boyangcao@nankai.edu.cn.
⁶ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, TEDA College, Nankai University, No.23, Hongda Street Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin, 300,457, China. boyangcao@nankai.edu.cn.

Abstract

Background: Vibrio cholerae, a Gram-negative bacterium, is highly motile owing to the presence of a single polar flagellum. The global anaerobiosis response regulator, ArcA regulates the expression of virulence factors and enhance biofilm formation in V. cholerae. However, the function of ArcA for the motility of V. cholerae is yet to be elucidated. CytR, which represses nucleoside uptake and catabolism, is known to play a chief role in V. cholerae pathogenesis and flagellar synthesis but the mechanism that CytR influences motility is unclear.

Results: In this study, we found that the ΔarcA mutant strain exhibited higher motility than the WT strain due to ArcA directly repressed flrA expression. We further discovered that CytR directly enhanced fliK expression, which explained why the ΔcytR mutant strain was retarded in motility. On the other hand, cytR was a direct ArcA target and cytR expression was directly repressed by ArcA. As expected, cytR expression was down-regulated.

Conclusions: Overall, ArcA plays a critical role in V. cholerae motility by regulating flrA expression directly and fliK indirectly in the manner of cytR.

Keywords: ArcA; CytR; Flagellum; Motility; Vibrio cholerae.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
Flagella / genetics
Flagella / physiology*
Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
Movement
Repressor Proteins / classification
Repressor Proteins / genetics*
Vibrio cholerae / genetics*
Vibrio cholerae / metabolism
Virulence
Virulence Factors

Substances

Bacterial Proteins
Repressor Proteins
Virulence Factors