Structure, function and regulation of the thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) in pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a leading cause of seafood-associated bacterial gastroenteritis. The pathogen produces the thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH), which is the sole cause of the Kanagawa phenomenon (KP), a special β-type haemolysis in the Wagatsuma agar. TDH also exerts several other biological activities, the major includes lethal toxicity, cytotoxicity, and enterotoxicity. The structure and roles of TDH and the transcriptional regulation of tdh genes, are summarized in this review, which will give a better understanding of the pathogenesis of V. parahaemolyticus.