A stealth adhesion factor contributes to Vibrio vulnificus pathogenicity: Flp pili play roles in host invasion, survival in the blood stream and resistance to complement activation.

The tad operons encode the machinery required for adhesive Flp (fimbrial low-molecular-weight protein) pili biogenesis. Vibrio vulnificus, an opportunistic pathogen, harbors three distinct tad loci. Among them, only tad1 locus was highly upregulated in in vivo growing bacteria compared to in vitro culture condition.

RtxA1 Toxin Expression Upon Contact With Host Cells Is RpoS-Dependent.

The expression of virulence genes in bacteria is known to be regulated by various environmental and host factors. , an estuarine bacterium, experiences a dramatic environmental change during its infection process. We reported that RtxA1 toxin caused acute cell death only when close contact to host cells was allowed.

All Three TonB Systems Are Required for Vibrio vulnificus CMCP6 Tissue Invasiveness by Controlling Flagellum Expression.

TonB systems actively transport iron-bound substrates across the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Vibrio vulnificus CMCP6, which causes fatal septicemia and necrotizing wound infections, possesses three active TonB systems. It is not known why V.