# Impact of Bacteriophages on Virulence and Transmission of Vibrio cholerae

> **NIH NIH R37** · TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON · 2022 · $464,560

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. Phages have been shown to play
important roles in the life cycle of many bacterial pathogens, particularly water-borne pathogens that cause
gastrointestinal tract infections. For example, the lysogenic phages, which integrate their DNA into the host
genome, can play positive roles by providing virulence factors such as toxins that enhance the virulence of
their host bacterium. Other phages known as lytic or virulent phages can play negative roles by infecting and
killing their host bacterium, thus reducing the number of the pathogen below the threshold needed to cause
disease. Vibrio cholerae is a water-borne pathogen that infects the small intestine to cause the severe
diarrheal disease cholera. Although it is well known that a lysogenic phage called the CTX phage enhances
virulence by providing the genes encoding cholera toxin, our recently published and preliminary data indicate
a pervasive negative role for several virulent phages that are commonly found in cholera endemic areas
around the Bay of Bengal. These virulent phages appear to reduce the virulence, transmission, and potentially
dissemination of V. cholerae. However, there is much we still do not know about these phages in terms of
their ability to kill V. cholerae in the environment, to inhibit fecal-oral transmission of cholera such as occurs
frequently within households, and their impact on the emergence of new V. cholerae strains. In this project,
we will investigate each of these areas. In addition, we will study the importance of another lysogenic phage
called Kappa in the virulence of V. cholerae.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10328933
- **Project number:** 5R37AI055058-18
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew Camilli
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $464,560
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2003-05-15 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10328933

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10328933, Impact of Bacteriophages on Virulence and Transmission of Vibrio cholerae (5R37AI055058-18). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10328933. Licensed CC0.

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