The Interface of Vibrio cholerae and the Gut Microbiome

Abstract

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the etiologic agent of the severe human diarrheal disease cholera. The gut microbiome, or the native community of microorganisms found in the human gastrointestinal tract, is increasingly being recognized as a factor in driving susceptibility to infection, in vivo fitness, and host interactions of this pathogen. Here, we review a subset of the emerging studies in how gut microbiome structure and microbial function are able to drive V. cholerae virulence gene regulation, metabolism, and modulate host immune responses to cholera infection and vaccination. Improved mechanistic understanding of commensal-pathogen interactions offers new perspectives in the design of prophylactic and therapeutic approaches for cholera control.

Microbiota-Associated Biofilm Regulation Leads to Vibrio cholerae Resistance Against Intestinal Environmental Stress

“…Increasing evidence demonstrates that the composition of the gut microbiota influences host defenses against pathogens ( Ribet and Cossart, 2015 ; Cho et al., 2021 ). This study demonstrates that commensal-dependent manipulation of both V. cholerae and host behavior during infection leads to differential outcomes in V. cholerae fitness.…”

“…In the transition from the aquatic reservoir into the human gastrointestinal tract, Vibrio cholerae encounters multiple host defense mechanisms, including low pH, oxidative stress, and bile acids ( Louis and O’byrne, 2010 ). Growing evidence indicates that the resident community of gut microbes, the gut microbiota, is also an essential factor affecting host susceptibility to V. cholerae infection, using multiple mechanisms to modulate pathogen fitness and gene expression during infection ( Hsiao et al., 2014 ; Alavi et al., 2020 ; Cho et al., 2021 ). The gut microbiota is highly complex and varies dramatically between individuals, leading to individual-specific effects on V. cholerae susceptibility driven partially by community-specific effects on V. cholerae behavior during infection ( Hsiao et al., 2014 ; Alavi et al., 2020 ).…”

Bioengineered Probiotics: Synthetic Biology Can Provide Live Cell Therapeutics for the Treatment of Foodborne Diseases

“…Cholera, a waterborne, life-threatening, gastrointestinal infection, is caused by the Gram-negative bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae and affects millions of individuals annually with an estimate of 21,000 to 143,000 deaths recorded worldwide ( Zuckerman et al, 2007 ; Ali et al, 2015 ; Cho J. Y. et al, 2021 ) . It is characterized by watery diarrhea and vomiting which leads to rapid dehydration, hypovolemic shock, acidosis and death ( Ali et al, 2015 ; Hsiao and Zhu, 2020 ).…”

“…Cholera toxins are responsible for altering the hosts cellular signaling pathways causing cellular damage and the watery diarrhea characteristic of cholera; while the toxin-coregulated pili aids in colonization of the gut epithelium ( Herrington et al, 1988 ; Cho J. Y. et al, 2021 ). Current treatments for cholera are centered around antibiotic therapy and while these have dramatically reduced case fatality, resistance to antibiotics has been demonstrated in cholera endemic and epidemic countries creating a need for new antimicrobial strategies ( Clemens et al, 2017 ).…”

Association of histo‐blood group antigens and predisposition to gastrointestinal diseases

“…Culture-dependent studies have shown that cholera infection causes a multi-log reduction in commensal microbial populations during acute diarrhea compared to convalescent populations. 119 culture-independent investigations have shown that the transient dysbiosis in microbiome structure found in cholera can also be caused by malnutrition 121 and diarrhea caused by a variety of etiologies, including rotavirus and pathogenic E. coli infection. 122,123 These environmental consequences can be common in cholera-endemic areas and thus potentially drive a reinforcing cycle of microbiome-dependent vulnerability to infection.…”