Caister Academic Press Limited Vibrio Cholerae: Genomics and Molecular Biology

The last decade has witnessed the unravelling of remarkable new insights into the biology of Vibrio cholerae. These include the discovery of the filamentous phage that encodes cholera toxin, the existence of two chromosomes in V. cholerae and the sequencing of the whole genome of the V. cholerae O1 strain N16961. These pioneering works led to an inevitable escalation in the amount of data generate. In this book we have endeavoured to distill the essence of this mighty deluge of information to produce a timely review of the genomics and molecular biology of this important human pathogen. Written by leading V. cholerae experts, the chapters review the most important cutting-edge genetic facets of V. choleraeincluding its genomic organization, population genetics, molecular epidemiology, and synchronized regulation of gene expression. Other topics include the molecular basis for enhanced transmissibility of cholera during epidemics, survival of the pathogen in the environment, and above all the evolution of the species to attain increased fitness both as a pathogen and an environmental organism. Essential reading for everyone with an interest in Vibrio and recommended reading for other scientists working in microbial pathogenesis, microbial genomics and antimicrobial research.