title: Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor: identification of a gene cluster required for the rugose colony type, exopolysaccharide production, chlorine resistance, and biofilm formation.
abstract: The rugose colony variant of Vibrio cholerae O1, biotype El Tor, is shown to produce an exopolysaccharide, EPSETr, that confers chlorine resistance and biofilm-forming capacity. EPSETr production requires a chromosomal locus, vps, that contains sequences homologous to carbohydrate biosynthesis genes of other bacterial species. Mutations within this locus yield chlorine-sensitive, smooth colony variants that are biofilm deficient. The biofilm-forming properties of EPSETr may enable the survival of V. cholerae O1 within environmental aquatic habitats between outbreaks of human disease.
authors: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University Medical School, Beckman Center, Room 239, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors: F H
authors: FH
authors: Yildiz
authors: G K
authors: GK
authors: Schoolnik
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D002713:Chlorine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D002713:Chlorine