title: The Vibrio cholerae type VI secretion system employs diverse effector modules for intraspecific competition.
abstract: Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that consists of over 200 serogroups with differing pathogenic potential. Only strains that express the virulence factors cholera toxin (CT) and toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) are capable of pandemic spread of cholera diarrhoea. Regardless, all V. cholerae strains sequenced to date harbour genes for the type VI secretion system (T6SS) that translocates effectors into neighbouring eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Here we report that the effectors encoded within these conserved gene clusters differ widely among V. cholerae strains, and that immunity proteins encoded immediately downstream from the effector genes protect their host from neighbouring bacteria producing corresponding effectors. As a consequence, strains with matching effector-immunity gene sets can coexist, while strains with different sets compete against each other. Thus, the V. cholerae T6SS contributes to the competitive behaviour of this species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Unterweger
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Sarah T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Travis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kostiuk
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA [2] Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Provenzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 2S2.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pukatzki
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; D002771:Cholera / Q000382:microbiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; D037521:Virulence Factors