Supporting data for "chiA and gbpA genes are not uniformly distributed amongst diverse Vibrio cholerae"

Members of the bacterial genus <i>Vibrio </i>utilize chitin both as a metabolic substrate and a signal to activate natural competence. <i>Vibrio cholerae </i>is a bacterial enteric pathogen, sub-lineages of which can cause pandemic cholera. However, the chitin metabolic pathway in <i>V. cholerae</i> has been dissected using only a limited number of laboratory strains of this species. Here, we survey the complement of key chitin metabolism genes amongst 195 diverse <i>V. cholerae</i>. We show that the gene encoding GbpA, known to be an important colonization and virulence factor in pandemic isolates, is not ubiquitous amongst <i>V. cholerae</i>. We also identify a putatively novel chitinase, and present experimental evidence in support of its functionality. Our data indicate that the chitin metabolic pathway within <i>V. cholerae</i> is more complex than previously thought, and emphasize the importance of considering genes and functions in the context of a species in its entirety, rather than simply relying on traditional reference strains.