Genetics of Vibrio cholerae and its bacteriophages

Abstract

The gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of asiatic cholera in humans. During the past few years, this organism has become more readily amenable to genetic analysis and has been a target of studies involving the use of recombinant DNA technology, primarily because of the interest in vaccine development. Thus, most emphasis has been given to cellular components likely to play a role in the pathogenesis of cholera, namely, those that are associated with the cell surface or that are excreted extracellularly. Vibriophages have been studied as tools for genetic analysis and as interesting biological entities. This article reviews the current status of the genetics of V. cholerae and its bacteriophages.