Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) was recently shown to modulate quorum sensing and the stress response in Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 strain NB10. It is not known whether there is a functionally active T6SS in other serotypes of V. anguillarum. Here, homologues to T6SS cluster VtsEFGH and hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp)-encoding genes were found to be prevalent and conserved in clinical isolates of V. anguillarum from fish, including four O1 and five non-O1 serotype strains. Unexpectedly, only the non-O1 serotype strains expressed VtsEFGH and Hcp under laboratory and marine-like conditions, in contrast to the serotype O1 strains. This suggested that the V. anguillarum non-O1 serotype strains tested have constitutive expression of T6SS. Examination of a representative non-O1 strain, MHK3, showed that Hcp production was growth phase dependent and that maximum Hcp production was observed in the exponential growth phase. Moreover, Hcp production by MHK3 was most active under warm marine-like conditions. Further examination revealed a correlation of the constitutive expression of T6SS with bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Edwardsiella tarda. The work presented here suggests that the constitutive expression of T6SS provides V. anguillarum with advantage in microbial competition in marine environments.
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Acknowledgments
This project was financially supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (31372567 and 31402342), the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (2015ASKJ02) and the Special Independent Innovation and Achievement Transformation of Shandong Province (2014ZZCX06205).
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All of the animal experiments were performed according to local government regulations, and the protocols were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Yellow Sea Fisheries Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science.
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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.
Lei Tang and Shu Yue have contributed equally to this work.
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Tang, L., Yue, S., Li, GY. et al. Expression, secretion and bactericidal activity of type VI secretion system in Vibrio anguillarum . Arch Microbiol 198, 751–760 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-016-1236-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-016-1236-2