副溶血弧菌的毒力基因表达调控的分子机制

Molecular mechanisms of virulence genes expression in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

摘要:

副溶血弧菌是革兰氏阴性嗜盐细菌，是海洋脊椎动物和无脊椎动物中主要致病菌，也是引起人类急性肠胃炎、败血症和坏死性筋膜炎等疾病的主要病原体。在过去，由副溶血弧菌引起的致病感染在世界范围内有不断增加的趋势。副溶血弧菌的致病性与其自身产生的多种毒力因子有关，这些毒力因子包括粘附因子、脂多糖、溶血素、III型分泌系统、VI型分泌系统、铁摄取系统、蛋白酶、外膜蛋白等。然而，这些毒力因子的表达都受到环境因子以及宿主体内信号因子的调控。副溶血弧菌通过感知外界生存环境的各种信号因子，从而激活体内不同的信号通路，进而诱导不同的毒力因子的表达。本文主要对副溶血弧菌毒力因子表达调控的分子机制进行综述，为更好地理解宿主与病原体的相互作用对副溶血弧菌的致病机制的影响，以及为今后预防和治疗由副溶血弧菌所引起的疾病提供理论参考。

Abstract:

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a Gram-negative halophilic bacterium, is the main pathogen in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, and can cause acute gastroenteritis, sepsis and necrotizing fasciitis via consumption of raw or poorly cooked, contaminated seafood by human beings. As a globally transmitted pathogen, the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus is closely related to a variety of virulence factors, including the adhesion factors, lipopolysaccharide, hemolysin, type III secretion system (T3SS), type VI secretion system (T6SS), iron uptake system, protease and some other virulence factors. All these virulence factors are only expressed under specific circumstance, indicating that the expression of these virulence factors is tightly regulated by the environmental factors as well as those signals from the host. In this review, we discuss the regulatory mechanisms used by V. parahaemolyticus to control its virulence gene expression, summarize the regulatory pathways that play important roles in V. parahaemolyticus pathogenesis, and highlight key regulatory factors in these regulatory networks. To better understand the pathogenic mechanism of V. parahaemolyticus will definitely help us to develop new strategies to treat and prevent diseases caused by V. parahaemolyticus infections.