The virulence regulator ToxT influences Vibrio cholerae motility through the expression of the methyl-accepting chemoreceptors AcfB and TcpI.

Loss-of-function mutations in toxT are linked to hyperswarming and enhanced motility in Vibrio cholerae, with increased speed and decreased directional change observed in mutants.

• Why it matters: Understanding how ToxT influences motility is crucial because motility affects V. cholerae’s ability to cause disease, and its regulation may reveal targets for intervention.
• What they did: The study used whole-genome sequencing to identify toxT mutations responsible for hyperswarming, and employed single-cell video tracking to assess motility changes, focusing on the regulation of chemotaxis proteins AcfB and TcpI.
• The result: Absence of ToxT-dependent MCPs AcfB and TcpI causes the hyperswarming phenotype, indicating ToxT’s direct role in modulating swimming behavior and linking motility regulation to virulence control in V. cholerae.