title: A type III secretion system in Vibrio cholerae translocates a formin/spire hybrid-like actin nucleator to promote intestinal colonization.
abstract: We have previously characterized a non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae strain, AM-19226, that lacks the known virulence factors but contains components of a type III secretion system (T3SS). In this study, we demonstrated that the T3SS is functional and is required for intestinal colonization in the infant mouse model. We also identified VopF, which is conserved among T3SS-positive V. cholerae strains, as an effector containing both formin homology 1-like (FH1-like) and WASP homology 2 (WH2) domains. Translocation of VopF by V. cholerae or expression by transfection altered the actin cytoskeletal organization of the eukaryotic host cells. In vitro domain analysis indicated that both FH1-like and WH2 domains are required for actin nucleation and polymerization activity. These data correlate with in vivo data, suggesting that VopF-mediated alteration of actin polymerization homeostasis is required for efficient intestinal colonization by T3SS+V. cholerae in the infant mouse model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Vincent C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serruto
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dziejman
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brieher
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mekalanos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000502:physiology*; D002771:Cholera / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins