Pleiotropic effects of the twin-arginine translocation system on biofilm formation, colonization, and virulence in <it<Vibrio cholerae</it<

<p<Abstract</p< <p<Background</p< <p<The Twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system serves to translocate folded proteins, including periplasmic enzymes that bind redox cofactors in bacteria. The Tat system is also a determinant of virulence in some pathogenic bacteria, r...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

<p<Abstract</p< <p<Background</p< <p<The Twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system serves to translocate folded proteins, including periplasmic enzymes that bind redox cofactors in bacteria. The Tat system is also a determinant of virulence in some pathogenic bacteria, related to pleiotropic effects including growth, motility, and the secretion of some virulent factors. The contribution of the Tat pathway to <it<Vibrio cholerae </it<has not been explored. Here we investigated the functionality of the Tat system in <it<V. cholerae</it<, the etiologic agent of cholera.</p< <p<Results</p< <p<In <it<V. cholerae</it<, the <it<tatABC </it<genes function in the translocation of TMAO reductase. Deletion of the <it<tatABC </it<genes led to a significant decrease in biofilm formation, the ability to attach to HT-29 cells, and the ability to colonize suckling mouse intestines. In addition, we observed a reduction in the output of cholera toxin, which may be due to the decreased transcription level of the toxin gene in <it<tatABC </it<mutants, suggesting an indirect effect of the mutation on toxin production. No obvious differences in flagellum biosynthesis and motility were found between the <it<tatABC </it<mutant and the parental strain, showing a variable effect of Tat in different bacteria.</p< <p<Conclusion</p< <p<The Tat system contributes to the survival of <it<V. cholerae </it<in the environment and <it<in vivo</it<, and it may be associated with its virulence.</p< Ausführliche Beschreibung