Temperature Change Induces the Expression of vuuA Encoding Vulnibactin Receptor and crp Encoding Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein in Vibrio vulnificus.

Upon entering the human body, Vibrio vulnificus, a gram-negative marine bacterium, must withstand a temperature change (TC) from 25 to 37 °C. This bacterium acquires iron mainly via the vulnibactin receptor (VuuA)-mediated iron uptake system (IUS), which is under the positive control of cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP), a global regulator responsible for catabolite repression. In this study, we examined the effect of TC on the expression of vuuA and crp, and the reciprocal relation between VuuA-mediated IUS and CRP under iron-limited conditions. Iron limitation increased vuuA expression but decreased crp expression. TC resulted in increased vuuA and crp expression. A crp or vuuA mutation reciprocally decreased vuuA or crp expression. TC could increase vuuA or crp expression even in a crp- or vuuA-mutated background. These results indicate that TC increases the expression of both vuuA and crp by facilitating metabolism under iron-limited conditions, and that CRP and VuuA-mediated IUS interact coordinately toward optimal metabolism in V. vulnificus.