Vibrio cholerae epidemic-strain surface receptors

Vibrio cholerae epidemic-strain surface receptors refer to the primary surface-exposed molecules of pathogenic V. cholerae strains, specifically the O1 and O139 serogroups, which are responsible for epidemic and pandemic cholera (Medscape, 2025). The most critical of these are the O-antigen (a component of the lipopolysaccharide) and the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) (NIH, 2024). The O-antigen defines the serogroup and is the primary target for the host's protective immune response, particularly vibriocidal antibodies (Wikipedia, 2024). TCP is a type IV pilus essential for the bacterium's ability to colonize the human small intestine by mediating inter-bacterial adhesion and attachment to the host epithelium (PLOS Pathogens, 2018). Furthermore, TCP serves as the essential surface receptor for the CTXφ bacteriophage, which carries the genes for the cholera toxin (ASM, 2024). These surface components are the primary targets for current oral cholera vaccines and are being investigated as targets for novel anti-adhesion and anti-virulence therapeutics designed to prevent colonization and disease transmission (NIH, 2024).

Other names

Vibrio cholerae surface antigensO-antigenToxin-coregulated pilusTCPLipopolysaccharideLPSO1 antigenO139 antigen

Vaccines induce protective vibriocidal antibodies against the O-antigen to prevent colonization and infection; small molecule inhibitors like virstatin suppress the expression of the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin by targeting regulatory proteins.