Corrigendum: MtrA, an essential response regulator of the MtrAB two-component system, regulates the transcription of resuscitation-promoting factor B of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Two-component systems play a central role in the adaptation of pathogenic bacteria to the environment prevailing within host tissues. The genes encoding the response regulator DevR (Rv3133c/DosR) and the cytoplasmic portion (DevS201) of the histidine kinase DevS (Rv3132c/DosS), a putative two-component system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, were cloned and the protein products were overexpressed, purified and refolded as N-terminally His6-tagged proteins from Escherichia coli. DevS201 underwent autophosphorylation and participated in rapid phosphotransfer to DevR in a Mg2+-dependent manner. Chemical stability analysis and site-directed mutagenesis implicated the highly conserved residues His395 and Asp54 as the sites of phosphorylation in DevS and DevR, respectively. Mutations in Asp8 and Asp9 residues, postulated to form the acidic Mg2+-binding pocket, and the invariant Lys104 of DevR, abrogated phosphoryl transfer from DevS201 to DevR. DevR–DevS was thus established as a typical two-component regulatory system based on His-to-Asp phosphoryl transfer. Expression of the Rv3134c–devR–devS operon was induced at the RNA level in hypoxic cultures of M. tuberculosis H37Rv and was associated with an increase in the level of DevR protein. However, in a devR mutant strain expressing the N-terminal domain of DevR, induction was observed at the level of RNA expression but not at that of protein. DevS was translated independently of DevR and induction of devS transcripts was not associated with an increase in protein level in either wild-type or mutant strains, reflecting differential regulation of this locus during hypoxia.

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Expression, Autoregulation, and DNA Binding Properties of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis TrcR Response Regulator

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.184.8.2192-2203.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 184 (8) ◽

pp. 2192-2203 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Shelley E. Haydel ◽

William H. Benjamin ◽

Nancy E. Dunlap ◽

Josephine E. Clark-Curtiss

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Dna Binding ◽

Transcriptional Activation ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Two Component System ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Rich Region ◽

Component System ◽

Two Component ◽

Gel Mobility Shift

ABSTRACT The TrcRS two-component system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is comprised of the TrcS histidine kinase and the TrcR response regulator, which is homologous to the OmpR class of DNA binding response regulators. Reverse transcription-PCRs with total RNA showed that the trcR and trcS two-component system genes are transcribed in broth-grown M. tuberculosis. Analysis of the trcR and trcS genes using various SCOTS (selective capture of transcribed sequences) probes also confirmed that these genes are expressed in broth-grown cultures and after 18 h of M. tuberculosis growth in cultured human primary macrophages. To determine if the TrcR response regulator is autoregulated, a trcR-lacZ fusion plasmid and a TrcR expression plasmid were cotransformed into Escherichia coli. Upon induction of the TrcR protein, there was a >500-fold increase in β-galactosidase activity from the trcR-lacZ fusion, indicating that TrcR is involved in transcriptional autoactivation. Gel mobility shift assays with the trcR promoter and TrcR established that the response regulator was autoregulating via direct binding. By use of a delimiting series of overlapping trcR PCR fragments in gel mobility shift assays with TrcR, an AT-rich region of the trcR promoter was shown to be essential for TrcR binding. Additionally, this AT-rich sequence was protected by TrcR in DNase I protection assays. To further analyze the role of the AT-rich region in TrcR autoregulation, the trcR promoter was mutated and analyzed in lacZ transcriptional fusions in the presence of TrcR. Alteration of the AT-rich sequence in the trcR promoter resulted in the loss of trcR transcriptional activation in the presence of TrcR. This report indicates that the M. tuberculosis TrcR response regulator activates its own expression by interacting with the AT-rich sequence of the trcR promoter.

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Intra- and intermolecular domain interactions among novel two-component system proteins coded by Rv0600c, Rv0601c and Rv0602c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Microbiology ◽

10.1099/mic.0.019059-0 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 155 (3) ◽

pp. 772-779 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Rashmi Shrivastava ◽

Ananta Kumar Ghosh ◽

Amit Kumar Das

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Histidine Kinase ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Dominant Role ◽

Phosphoryl Group ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Two Component ◽

Domain Interactions ◽

Cognate Response Regulator

Two-component signal transduction pathways comprising a histidine kinase and its cognate response regulator play a dominant role in the adaptation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to its host, and its virulence, pathogenicity and latency. Autophosphorylation occurs at a conserved histidine of the histidine kinase and subsequently the phosphoryl group is transferred to the conserved aspartate of its cognate response regulator. Among the twelve two-component systems of M. tuberculosis, Rv0600c (HK1), Rv0601c (HK2) and Rv0602c (TcrA) are annotated as a unique three-protein two-component system. HK1 contains an ATP-binding domain, and HK2, a novel Hpt mono-domain protein, contains the conserved phosphorylable histidine residue. HK1 and HK2 complement each other's functions. Interactions among different domains of the HK1, HK2 and TcrA proteins were studied using a yeast two-hybrid system. Self-interaction was observed for HK2 but not for HK1 or TcrA. HK2 was found to interact reasonably well with both HK1 and TcrA, but HK1 interacted weakly with TcrA. The conserved aspartate-containing receiver domain of TcrA interacted well with HK2 but not with HK1. These results suggest the existence of a novel signalling mechanism amongst HK1–HK2–TcrA, and a model for this mechanism is proposed.

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Identification of a Second Two-Component Signal Transduction System That Controls Fosfomycin Tolerance and Glycerol-3-Phosphate Uptake

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.02491-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 197 (5) ◽

pp. 861-871 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kumiko Kurabayashi ◽

Yuko Hirakawa ◽

Koichi Tanimoto ◽

Haruyoshi Tomita ◽

Hidetada Hirakawa

Keyword(s):

Phosphate Uptake ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Anaerobic Respiration ◽

Regulatory System ◽

Carbon Substrate ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Content Type ◽

Two Component ◽

Biological Cost

Particular interest in fosfomycin has resurfaced because it is a highly beneficial antibiotic for the treatment of refractory infectious diseases caused by pathogens that are resistant to other commonly used antibiotics. The biological cost to cells of resistance to fosfomycin because of chromosomal mutation is high. We previously found that a bacterial two-component system, CpxAR, induces fosfomycin tolerance in enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coli(EHEC) O157:H7. This mechanism does not rely on irreversible genetic modification and allows EHEC to relieve the fitness burden that results from fosfomycin resistance in the absence of fosfomycin. Here we show that another two-component system, TorSRT, which was originally characterized as a regulatory system for anaerobic respiration utilizing trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), also induces fosfomycin tolerance. Activation of the Tor regulatory pathway by overexpression oftorR, which encodes the response regulator, or addition of TMAO increased fosfomycin tolerance in EHEC. We also show that phosphorylated TorR directly represses the expression ofglpT, a gene that encodes a symporter of fosfomycin and glycerol-3-phosphate, and activation of the TorR protein results in the reduced uptake of fosfomycin by cells. However, cells in which the Tor pathway was activated had an impaired growth phenotype when cultured with glycerol-3-phosphate as a carbon substrate. These observations suggest that the TorSRT pathway is the second two-component system to reversibly control fosfomycin tolerance and glycerol-3-phosphate uptake in EHEC, and this may be beneficial for bacteria by alleviating the biological cost. We expect that this mechanism could be a potential target to enhance the utility of fosfomycin as chemotherapy against multidrug-resistant pathogens.

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The two-component system CopRS maintains femtomolar levels of free copper in the periplasm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using a phosphatase-based mechanism

10.1101/2020.05.13.092544 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lorena Novoa-Aponte ◽

Fernando C. Soncini ◽

José M. Argüello

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Phosphatase Activity ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Redox Enzymes ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Component Systems ◽

Two Component ◽

Two Component Systems ◽

Systems Control

ABSTRACTTwo component systems control periplasmic Cu+ homeostasis in Gram-negative bacteria. In characterized systems such as Escherichia coli CusRS, upon Cu+ binding to the periplasmic sensing domain of CusS, a cytoplasmic phosphotransfer domain phosphorylates the response regulator CusR. This drives the expression of efflux transporters, chaperones, and redox enzymes to ameliorate metal toxic effects. Here, we show that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa two component sensor histidine kinase CopS exhibits a Cu-dependent phosphatase activity that maintains a non-phosphorylated CopR when the periplasmic Cu levels are below its activation threshold. Upon Cu+ binding to the sensor, the phosphatase activity is blocked and the phosphorylated CopR activates transcription of the CopRS regulon. Supporting the model, mutagenesis experiments revealed that the ΔcopS strain showed constitutive high expression of the CopRS regulon, lower intracellular Cu+ levels, and larger Cu tolerance when compared to wild type cells. The invariant phospho-acceptor residue His235 of CopS was not required for the phosphatase activity itself, but necessary for its Cu-dependency. To sense the metal, the periplasmic domain of CopS binds two Cu+ ions at its dimeric interface. Homology modeling of CopS based on CusS structure (four Ag+ binding sites) clearly explains the different binding stoichiometries in both systems. Interestingly, CopS binds Cu+/2+ with 30 × 10−15 M affinities, pointing to the absence of free (hydrated) Cu+/2+ in the periplasm.IMPORTANCECopper is a micronutrient required as cofactor in redox enzymes. When free, copper is toxic, mismetallating proteins, and generating damaging free radicals. Consequently, copper overload is a strategy that eukaryotic cells use to combat pathogens. Bacteria have developed copper sensing transcription factors to control copper homeostasis. The cell envelope is the first compartment that has to cope with copper stress. Dedicated two component systems control the periplasmic response to metal overload. This manuscript shows that the copper sensing two component system present in Pseudomonadales exhibits a signal-dependent phosphatase activity controlling the activation of the response regulator, distinct from previously described periplasmic Cu sensors. Importantly, the data show that the sensor is activated by copper levels compatible with the absence of free copper in the cell periplasm. This emphasizes the diversity of molecular mechanisms that have evolved in various bacteria to manage the copper cellular distribution.

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Degradation of cyclic diguanosine monophosphate by a hybrid two-component protein protects Azoarcus sp. strain CIB from toluene toxicity

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1615981113 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (46) ◽

pp. 13174-13179 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Zaira Martín-Moldes ◽

Blas Blázquez ◽

Claudine Baraquet ◽

Caroline S. Harwood ◽

María T. Zamarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Anaerobic Growth ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Bacterial Physiology ◽

Toxic Concentration ◽

Two Component ◽

Cyclic Diguanosine Monophosphate ◽

Diguanosine Monophosphate

Cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a second messenger that controls diverse functions in bacteria, including transitions from planktonic to biofilm lifestyles, virulence, motility, and cell cycle. Here we describe TolR, a hybrid two-component system (HTCS), from the β-proteobacterium Azoarcus sp. strain CIB that degrades c-di-GMP in response to aromatic hydrocarbons, including toluene. This response protects cells from toluene toxicity during anaerobic growth. Whereas wild-type cells tolerated a sudden exposure to a toxic concentration of toluene, a tolR mutant strain or a strain overexpressing a diguanylate cyclase gene lost viability upon toluene shock. TolR comprises an N-terminal aromatic hydrocarbon-sensing Per–Arnt–Sim (PAS) domain, followed by an autokinase domain, a response regulator domain, and a C-terminal c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) domain. Autophosphorylation of TolR in response to toluene exposure initiated an intramolecular phosphotransfer to the response regulator domain that resulted in c-di-GMP degradation. The TolR protein was engineered as a functional sensor histidine kinase (TolRSK) and an independent response regulator (TolRRR). This classic two-component system (CTCS) operated less efficiently than TolR, suggesting that TolR was evolved as a HTCS to optimize signal transduction. Our results suggest that TolR enables Azoarcus sp. CIB to adapt to toxic aromatic hydrocarbons under anaerobic conditions by modulating cellular levels of c-di-GMP. This is an additional role for c-di-GMP in bacterial physiology.

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The PedS2/PedR2 Two-Component System Is Crucial for the Rare Earth Element Switch inPseudomonas putidaKT2440

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00376-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Matthias Wehrmann ◽

Charlotte Berthelot ◽

Patrick Billard ◽

Janosch Klebensberger

Keyword(s):

Rare Earth ◽

Rare Earth Elements ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Regulatory Function ◽

Methylotrophic Bacteria ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Content Type ◽

Two Component ◽

Type Response

ABSTRACTInPseudomonas putidaKT2440, two pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent ethanol dehydrogenases (PQQ-EDHs) are responsible for the periplasmic oxidation of a broad variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Depending on the availability of rare earth elements (REEs) of the lanthanide series (Ln3+), we have recently reported that the transcription of the genes encoding the Ca2+-utilizing enzyme PedE and the Ln3+-utilizing enzyme PedH are inversely regulated. With adaptive evolution experiments, site-specific mutations, transcriptional reporter fusions, and complementation approaches, we now demonstrate that the PedS2/PedR2 (PP_2671/PP_2672) two-component system (TCS) plays a central role in the observed REE-mediated switch of PQQ-EDHs inP. putida. We provide evidence that in the absence of lanthanum (La3+), the sensor histidine kinase PedS2 phosphorylates its cognate LuxR-type response regulator PedR2, which in turn not only activatespedEgene transcription but is also involved in repression ofpedH. Our data further suggest that the presence of La3+lowers kinase activity of PedS2, either by the direct binding of the metal ions to the periplasmic region of PedS2 or by an uncharacterized indirect interaction, leading to reduced levels of phosphorylated PedR2. Consequently, the decreasingpedEexpression and concomitant alleviation ofpedHrepression causes—in conjunction with the transcriptional activation of thepedHgene by a yet unknown regulatory module—the Ln3+-dependent transition from PedE- to PedH-catalyzed oxidation of alcoholic VOCs.IMPORTANCEThe function of lanthanides for methanotrophic and methylotrophic bacteria is gaining increasing attention, while knowledge about the role of rare earth elements (REEs) in nonmethylotrophic bacteria is still limited. The present study investigates the recently described differential expression of the two PQQ-EDHs ofP. putidain response to lanthanides. We demonstrate that a specific TCS is crucial for their inverse regulation and provide evidence for a dual regulatory function of the LuxR-type response regulator involved. Thus, our study represents the first detailed characterization of the molecular mechanism underlying the REE switch of PQQ-EDHs in a nonmethylotrophic bacterium and stimulates subsequent investigations for the identification of additional genes or phenotypic traits that might be coregulated during REE-dependent niche adaptation.

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Identification of a novel two-component system SenS/SenR modulating the production of the catalase-peroxidase CpeB and the haem-binding protein HbpS in Streptomyces reticuli

Microbiology ◽

10.1099/mic.0.28298-0 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 151 (11) ◽

pp. 3603-3614 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Darío Ortiz de Orué Lucana ◽

Peijian Zou ◽

Marc Nierhaus ◽

Hildgund Schrempf

Keyword(s):

Peroxidase Activity ◽

Response Regulator ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Streptomyces Avermitilis ◽

Binding Motif ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Regulatory Cascade ◽

Two Component

The Gram-positive soil bacterium and cellulose degrader Streptomyces reticuli synthesizes the mycelium-associated enzyme CpeB, which displays haem-dependent catalase and peroxidase activity, as well as haem-independent manganese-peroxidase activity. The expression of the furS–cpeB operon depends on the redox regulator FurS and the presence of the haem-binding protein HbpS. Upstream of hbpS, the neighbouring senS and senR genes were identified. SenS is a sensor histidine kinase with five predicted N-terminally located transmembrane domains. SenR is the corresponding response regulator with a C-terminal DNA-binding motif. Comparative transcriptional and biochemical studies with a designed S. reticuli senS/senR chromosomal disruption mutant and a set of constructed Streptomyces lividans transformants showed that the presence of the novel two-component system SenS/SenR negatively modulates the expression of the furS–cpeB operon and the hbpS gene. The presence of SenS/SenR enhances considerably the resistance of S. reticuli to haemin and the redox-cycling compound plumbagin, suggesting that this system could participate directly or indirectly in the sensing of redox changes. Epitope-tagged HbpS (obtained from an Escherichia coli transformant) as well as the native S. reticuli HbpS interact in vitro specifically with the purified SenS fusion protein. On the basis of these findings, together with data deduced from the S. reticuli hbpS mutant strain, HbpS is suggested to act as an accessory protein that communicates with the sensor protein to modulate the corresponding regulatory cascade. Interestingly, close and distant homologues, respectively, of the SenS/SenR system are encoded within the Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and Streptomyces avermitilis genomes, but not within other known bacterial genomes. Hence the SenS/SenR system appears to be confined to streptomycetes.

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Mycobacterium tuberculosis PhoY Proteins Promote Persister Formation by Mediating Pst/SenX3-RegX3 Phosphate Sensing

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.00494-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Sarah B. Namugenyi ◽

Alisha M. Aagesen ◽

Sarah R. Elliott ◽

Anna D. Tischler

Keyword(s):

Signal Transduction ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

System Component ◽

Signal Transduction System ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Phosphate Sensing ◽

Two Component ◽

Pst System

ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium tuberculosis phosphate-specific transport (Pst) system controls gene expression in response to phosphate availability by inhibiting the activation of the SenX3-RegX3 two-component system under phosphate-rich conditions, but the mechanism of communication between these systems is unknown. In Escherichia coli, inhibition of the two-component system PhoR-PhoB under phosphate-rich conditions requires both the Pst system and PhoU, a putative adaptor protein. E. coli PhoU is also involved in the formation of persisters, a subpopulation of phenotypically antibiotic-tolerant bacteria. M. tuberculosis encodes two PhoU orthologs, PhoY1 and PhoY2. We generated phoY single- and double-deletion mutants and examined the expression of RegX3-regulated genes by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Gene expression was increased only in the ΔphoY1 ΔphoY2 double mutant and could be restored to the wild-type level by complementation with either phoY1 or phoY2 or by deletion of regX3. These data suggest that the PhoY proteins function redundantly to inhibit SenX3-RegX3 activation. We analyzed the frequencies of antibiotic-tolerant persister variants in the phoY mutants using several antibiotic combinations. Persister frequency was decreased at least 40-fold in the ΔphoY1 ΔphoY2 mutant compared to the frequency in the wild type, and this phenotype was RegX3 dependent. A ΔpstA1 mutant lacking a Pst system transmembrane component exhibited a similar RegX3-dependent decrease in persister frequency. In aerosol-infected mice, the ΔphoY1 ΔphoY2 and ΔpstA1 mutants were more susceptible to treatment with rifampin but not isoniazid. Our data demonstrate that disrupting phosphate sensing mediated by the PhoY proteins and the Pst system enhances the susceptibility of M. tuberculosis to antibiotics both in vitro and during infection. IMPORTANCE Persister variants, subpopulations of bacteria that are phenotypically antibiotic tolerant, contribute to the lengthy treatment times required to cure Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, but the molecular mechanisms governing their formation and maintenance are poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that a phosphate-sensing signal transduction system, comprising the Pst phosphate transporter, the two-component system SenX3-RegX3, and functionally redundant PhoY proteins that mediate signaling between Pst and SenX3-RegX3, influences persister formation. Activation of RegX3 by deletion of the phoY genes or a Pst system component resulted in decreased persister formation in vitro. Activated RegX3 also limited persister formation during growth under phosphate-limiting conditions. Importantly, increased susceptibility to the front-line drug rifampin was also observed in a mouse infection model. Thus, the M. tuberculosis phosphate-sensing signal transduction system contributes to antibiotic tolerance and is a potential target for the development of novel therapeutics that may shorten the duration of tuberculosis treatment. IMPORTANCE Persister variants, subpopulations of bacteria that are phenotypically antibiotic tolerant, contribute to the lengthy treatment times required to cure Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, but the molecular mechanisms governing their formation and maintenance are poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that a phosphate-sensing signal transduction system, comprising the Pst phosphate transporter, the two-component system SenX3-RegX3, and functionally redundant PhoY proteins that mediate signaling between Pst and SenX3-RegX3, influences persister formation. Activation of RegX3 by deletion of the phoY genes or a Pst system component resulted in decreased persister formation in vitro. Activated RegX3 also limited persister formation during growth under phosphate-limiting conditions. Importantly, increased susceptibility to the front-line drug rifampin was also observed in a mouse infection model. Thus, the M. tuberculosis phosphate-sensing signal transduction system contributes to antibiotic tolerance and is a potential target for the development of novel therapeutics that may shorten the duration of tuberculosis treatment.

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