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Temperature Change Induces the Expression of vuuA Encoding Vulnibactin Receptor and crp Encoding Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein in Vibrio vulnificus

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Abstract

Upon entering the human body, Vibrio vulnificus, a gram-negative marine bacterium, must withstand a temperature change (TC) from 25 to 37 °C. This bacterium acquires iron mainly via the vulnibactin receptor (VuuA)-mediated iron uptake system (IUS), which is under the positive control of cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP), a global regulator responsible for catabolite repression. In this study, we examined the effect of TC on the expression of vuuA and crp, and the reciprocal relation between VuuA-mediated IUS and CRP under iron-limited conditions. Iron limitation increased vuuA expression but decreased crp expression. TC resulted in increased vuuA and crp expression. A crp or vuuA mutation reciprocally decreased vuuA or crp expression. TC could increase vuuA or crp expression even in a crp- or vuuA-mutated background. These results indicate that TC increases the expression of both vuuA and crp by facilitating metabolism under iron-limited conditions, and that CRP and VuuA-mediated IUS interact coordinately toward optimal metabolism in V. vulnificus.

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Acknowledgments

We thank MR Kang for their technical assistance. This work was supported by the Chosun University Research Fund, 2012.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Premedical Sciences, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, 501-759, Republic of Korea

      Choon-Mee Kim, Young-Joon Ahn & Sung-Heui Shin

    2. Department of Medical Education, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, 501-759, Republic of Korea

      Young-Joon Ahn

    3. Department of Emergency Medicine, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, 501-759, Republic of Korea

      Seong-Jung Kim & Dae-Heung Yoon

    4. Department of Microbiology, Chosun University Medical School, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Dong-Gu, Gwangju, 501-759, Republic of Korea

      Sung-Heui Shin

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    1. Choon-Mee Kim
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    Correspondence to Sung-Heui Shin.

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    Choon-Mee Kim, Young-Joon Ahn contributed equally to this study.

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    Kim, CM., Ahn, YJ., Kim, SJ. et al. Temperature Change Induces the Expression of vuuA Encoding Vulnibactin Receptor and crp Encoding Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein in Vibrio vulnificus . Curr Microbiol 73, 54–64 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-016-1026-8

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