CalR is an activator of biofilm formation in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

作者：Jingyang Chang, Yining Zhou, Miaomiao Zhang, Xue Li, Nan Zhang, Xi Luo, Bin Ni, Renfei Lu, Yiquan Zhang · 发表于：Applied and Environmental Microbiology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1128/aem.00724-25 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Vibrio bacteria research studies、Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing、Legionella and Acanthamoeba research

ABSTRACT Vibrio parahaemolyticus , the leading cause of seafood-associated gastroenteritis, often exists in a biofilm state. Biofilm formation in this bacterium is regulated by a complex network of factors, including the second messenger c-di-GMP. CalR, a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, has been demonstrated to play a role in regulating the expression of virulence genes and swarming motility of V. parahaemolyticus . In this study, we demonstrate that CalR positively regulates biofilm formation by enhancing the production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs), extracellular proteins, extracellular DNA (eDNA), and c-di-GMP. RNA sequencing reveals that CalR regulates the transcription of 167 genes, including those potentially involved in c-di-GMP metabolism (e.g., vpa0184 , vpa0198 , and vpa1429 ) and biofilm-associated regulators (e.g., scrP ). CalR directly suppresses the transcription of scrP , vpa0184 , and vpa0198 while activating vpa1429 transcription in a direct manner. Additionally, CalR directly activates the transcription of cpsA but indirectly activates that of scvE , both of which are involved in EPS production. In summary, these findings elucidate the regulatory mechanisms by which CalR promotes biofilm formation in V. parahaemolyticus and highlight its role in modulating c-di-GMP homeostasis and biofilm matrix production. This work enhances our understanding of the regulatory network governing biofilm formation by V. parahaemolyticus . IMPORTANCE Biofilm formation is a...