Express Health Care Management
A recent research article published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has provided new insights into inhibiting the spread and infection of Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria responsible for causing cholera. The study, titled “A peptide-binding domain shared with an Antarctic bacterium facilitates Vibrio cholerae human cell binding and intestinal colonization,” was coauthored by Karl Klose, director of The South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), and Cameron Lloyd, a UTSA doctoral student.
Traditionally, V. cholerae is found naturally on various surfaces within marine environments. When contaminated water or food is consumed by humans, the bacteria colonize the gastrointestinal tract and cause cholera, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and circulatory collapse. If left untreated, severe cases of cholera can be fatal.
The research team, in collaboration with other international laboratories, identified a peptide, a short chain of amino acids, that can inhibit the virulence of V. cholerae. They discovered that the peptide inhibitors, which bind to an Antarctic bacterium called Marinomonas primoryensis, can disrupt V. cholerae from adhering to human cells, forming biofilms, and colonizing the gastrointestinal tract.
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