Rules of Engagement: The Type VI Secretion System in V. cholerae

Microbial species often exist in complex communities where they must avoid predation and compete for favorable niches. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a contact-dependent bacterial weapon that allows for direct killing of competitors through the translocation of proteinaceous toxins. Vibrio c...

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Published inTrends in microbiology (Regular ed.) Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 267 - 279
Main Authors Joshi, Avatar, Kostiuk, Benjamin, Rogers, Andrew, Teschler, Jennifer, Pukatzki, Stefan, Yildiz, Fitnat H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 24.12.2016
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Summary:Microbial species often exist in complex communities where they must avoid predation and compete for favorable niches. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a contact-dependent bacterial weapon that allows for direct killing of competitors through the translocation of proteinaceous toxins. Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative pathogen that can use its T6SS during antagonistic interactions with neighboring prokaryotic and eukaryotic competitors. The T6SS not only promotes V. cholerae 's survival during its aquatic and host life cycles, but also influences its evolution by facilitating horizontal gene transfer. This review details the recent insights regarding the structure and function of the T6SS as well as the diverse signals and regulatory pathways that control its activation in V. cholerae .
ISSN:0966-842X
1878-4380
DOI:10.1016/j.tim.2016.12.003