MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Identification of the Marker of Vibrio cholerae Toxicity

Abstract

This study was aimed at MALDI-TOF identification of protein markers of V. cholerae toxicity for express diagnostics of the causative agent of cholera. The MALTDI-TOF MS electronic passports of 140 V. cholerae strains that were divided into two main groups with the presence or absence of the gene of cholera toxin (ctx– and ctx+) were subjected to computer analysis. For the first time, we have identified a taxon, a specific 3202 Da protein peak, that is a characteristic marker of V. cholerae ctx+, but not of V. cholerae ctx– strains.