Epidemic Vibrio cholerae surface receptors

Epidemic Vibrio cholerae surface receptors refer to the key molecular structures on the outer membrane of Vibrio cholerae strains, specifically the O1 and O139 serogroups, that facilitate infection and colonization. The primary components include the O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP). The O-antigen is the major surface antigen used for serotyping and is the principal target for protective immunity elicited by oral cholera vaccines. The TCP is a type IV pilus essential for bacterial aggregation and attachment to the host's small intestine, and it also serves as the receptor for the CTXphi bacteriophage, which introduces the cholera toxin genes. Therapeutic strategies, including vaccines and experimental monoclonal antibodies, target these receptors to prevent the bacterium from establishing a niche in the gut, thus preventing the production of cholera toxin and the resulting severe diarrheal disease.

Other names

Vibrio cholerae O-antigenToxin-coregulated pilus (TCP)Vibrio cholerae surface antigensO1 antigenO139 antigenVibrio cholerae lipopolysaccharide

Vaccines and antibodies bind to these surface receptors to inhibit bacterial adherence to the intestinal mucosa and prevent colonization, thereby blocking the infection process.