Vibrio cholerae
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Classification
Higher order taxa
Domain: Eubacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Gamma Proteobacteria
Order: Vibrionales
Family: Vibrionaceae
Species
Genus: Vibrio
Species: V. cholerae
Description and significance
Vibrio Cholerae is a gram negative, curved rod-shaped bacterium that has a single polar flagellum. It is an aerobic organism and thrives best in alkaline mediums. The bacteria are most often found in aquatic environments such as marine habitats, water courses, wetlands, and lakes.
Genome structure
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Cell structure and metabolism
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Ecology
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Pathology
Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of a serious epidemic disease Cholera. Cholera is a harmful bacterial ailment that often causes severe diarrhea which is usually procurred by drinking contaminated water. When ingested, Vibrio cholerae adapts itself to colonize in the human intestinal tract, mainly the small intestine. It then attaches to the mucosal surface which the Vibrio cholerae would produce an extoxin, the cholera toxin. The cholera toxin would then act on the intestinal mucosal cells by altering the ion transport pumps that control ion fluxes. Since water freely passes through membranes, the only way to control the movement of water into and out of tissue is to control the concentration of ions in the body. The cholera toxin diminishes the net flow of sodium into the tissue and generates a net flow of chloride and water out of the tissue and into the lumen. This causes an electrolyte imbalance in the system which in consequence, bring about copious amounts of diarrhea.
Application to Biotechnology
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Current Research
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