TsrA Regulates Virulence and Intestinal Colonization in Vibrio Cholerae

Cholera is a potentially lethal disease that is endemic in much of the developing world. Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium underlying the disease, infects humans utilizing proteins encoded on horizontally acquired genetic material. Here, we provide evidence that TsrA, a Vibrionaceae-specific protein, plays a critical role in regulating these genetic elements and is essential for V. cholerae virulence in a mouse intestinal model.