Vibrio parahaemolyticus VopA Is a Potent Inhibitor of Cell Migration and Apoptosis in the Intestinal Epithelium of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Animal models have played a key role in providing an understanding of the mechanisms that govern the pathophysiology of intestinal diseases. To expand on the repertoire of organisms available to study enteric diseases, we report on the use of the Drosophila melanogaster model to identify a novel function of an effector protein secreted by Vibrio parahaemolyticus , which is an enteric pathogen found in contaminated seafood.