Sequence analysis of TnphoA insertion sites in Vibrio cholerae mutants defective in rugose polysaccharide production

Vibrio cholerae can switch from a smooth to a wrinkled or rugose colony phe notype characterized by the secretion of a polysaccharide that enables the bacteria to survive harsh environmental conditions. In order to understand the genetic basis of rugosity, we isolated TnphoA-induced stable, smooth mu tants of two O1 El Tor rugose strains and mapped the insertion sites in sev eral of the mutants using a modified Y-adapter PCR technique. One of the Tn phoA insertions was mapped to the first gene of the vps region that was pre viously shown to encode the rugose polysaccharide biosynthesis cluster. Thr ee insertions were mapped to a previously unknown hlyA-like gene, also in t he vps region. Five other insertions were found in loci unlinked to the vps region: (i) in the epsD gene (encodes the "secretin" of the extracellular protein secretion apparatus), (ii) in a hydG-like gene (encodes a sigma (54 )-dependent transcriptional activator similar to HydG involved in labile hy drogenase production in Escherichia coli, (iii) in a gene encoding malic ac id transport protein upstream of a gene similar to yeiE of E. coli (encodes a protein with similarities to LysR-type transcriptional activators), (iv) in dm (encodes 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase), and (v) i n the intergenic region of lpd and odp (encode enzymes involved in the pyru vate dehydrogenase complex formation). These data suggest the involvement o f a complex regulatory network in rugose polysaccharide production and high light the general utility of the Y-adapter PCR technique described here for rapid mapping of transposon insertion sites.