In: Biology
Which of the following are true statements concerning Vibrio cholerae?
Vibrio cholerae is only pathogenic when genes from a virulent virus are incorporated into its genome and subsequently expressed. |
||
Vibrio cholerae is only pathogenic when genes from a lytic virus are incorporated into its genome and subsequently expressed. |
||
Vibrio cholerae is only pathogenic when genes from a lysogenic virus are incorporated into its genome and subsequently expressed. |
||
Vibrio cholerae is only pathogenic when genes from a temperate virus are incorporated into its genome and subsequently expressed. |
||
Vibrio cholerae is only pathogenic when genes from a prophage are incorporated into its genome and subsequently expressed. |
The first statement is wrong as it is caused by a temperate phage rather than virulent phase. The virulent phage follows lytic cycle and results in immediate killing of the host. Whereas temperate phage can follow both the life cycle lytic as well as lysogenic.
The second statement is also wrong as the virus is lysogenic rather then lytic. We know that the genome of only lysogenic virus can sustainably replicate and express itself without causing any immediate danger to life of the host.
The third and fourth statements are true as only temperate virus can follow lysogenic cycle not the virulent phase because it follows lytic cycle and leads to immediate lysis of the host.
The fifth and final statement is also true.- The name prophage is given to genetic material of virus which has been stably integrated to genome of bacterial host. It can start producing phages in future.
The cholera toxin is in fact coded by prophage of CTX phi bacteriophage not by the genome of Vibrio cholerae. So, if Vibrio cholerae has no prophage of the virus (bacteriophage) then it is non pathogenic to humans. The toxin produced is a type of enterotoxin (AB type) which causes huge loss of cloride and bicarbonate from small intestine to lumen. Water is also secreted to maintain osmotic balance in lumen and this leads to watery diarrhea.