title: Proteases produced by vibrios.
abstract: Bacteria of the genus Vibrio are normal habitants of the aquatic environment but the some species are believed to be human pathogens. Pathogenic vibrios produce various pathogenic factors, and the proteases are also recognized to play pathogenic roles in the infection: the direct roles by digesting many kinds of host proteins or indirect roles by processing other pathogenic protein factors. Especially VVP from Vibrio vulnificus is thought to be a major pathogenic factor of the vibrio. Although HA/P, the V. cholerae hemagglutinin/protease, is not a direct toxic factor of cholera vibrio, its significance is an undeniable fact. Production of HA/P is regulated together with major pathogenic factors such as CT (cholera toxin) or TCP (toxin co-regulated pilus) by a quorum-sensing system. HA/P is necessary for full expression of pathogenicity of the vibrio by supporting growth and translocation in the digestive tract. Processing of protein toxins such as CT or El Tor hemolysin is also an important pathogenic role.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama University of Science, Ridai-cho, Okayama 700-005, Japan. shinoda@dls.ous.ac.jp
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000633:toxicity; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000633:toxicity; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000633:toxicity*; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C039814:hemagglutinin-protease