title: The type VI secretion system of Vibrio cholerae fosters horizontal gene transfer.
abstract: Natural competence for transformation is a common mode of horizontal gene transfer and contributes to bacterial evolution. Transformation occurs through the uptake of external DNA and its integration into the genome. Here we show that the type VI secretion system (T6SS), which serves as a predatory killing device, is part of the competence regulon in the naturally transformable pathogen Vibrio cholerae. The T6SS-encoding gene cluster is under the positive control of the competence regulators TfoX and QstR and is induced by growth on chitinous surfaces. Live-cell imaging revealed that deliberate killing of nonimmune cells via competence-mediated induction of T6SS releases DNA and makes it accessible for horizontal gene transfer in V. cholerae.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borgeaud
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scrignari
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. melanie.blokesch@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blokesch
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems / Q000235:genetics*; D061269:DNA Transformation Competence; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D005810:Multigene Family; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; D015534:Trans-Activators