scholarly journals New Twists and Turns in Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylie J. Watts ◽  
Ady Vaknin ◽  
Clay Fuqua ◽  
Barbara I. Kazmierczak
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Flagellar Motors ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction

ABSTRACT Prokaryotic organisms occupy the most diverse set of environments and conditions on our planet. Their ability to sense and respond to a broad range of external cues remain key research areas in modern microbiology, central to behaviors that underlie beneficial and pathogenic interactions of bacteria with multicellular organisms and within complex ecosystems. Advances in our understanding of the one- and two-component signal transduction systems that underlie these sensing pathways have been driven by advances in imaging the behavior of many individual bacterial cells, as well as visualizing individual proteins and protein arrays within living cells. Cryo-electron tomography continues to provide new insights into the structure and function of chemosensory receptors and flagellar motors, while advances in protein labeling and tracking are applied to understand information flow between receptor and motor. Sophisticated microfluidics allow simultaneous analysis of the behavior of thousands of individual cells, increasing our understanding of how variance between individuals is generated, regulated, and employed to maximize fitness of a population. In vitro experiments have been complemented by the study of signal transduction and motility in complex in vivo models, allowing investigators to directly address the contribution of motility, chemotaxis, and aggregation/adhesion on virulence during infection. Finally, systems biology approaches have demonstrated previously uncharted areas of protein space in which novel two-component signal transduction pathways can be designed and constructed de novo. These exciting experimental advances were just some of the many novel findings presented at the 15th Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction conference (BLAST XV) in January 2019.

scholarly journals The ChrSA and HrrSA Two-Component Systems Are Required for Transcriptional Regulation of thehemAPromoter in Corynebacterium diphtheriae

2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (18) ◽  
pp. 2419-2430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Burgos ◽  
Michael P. Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Component Systems ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction ◽  
Two Component Systems ◽  
Signal Transduction Systems

ABSTRACTCorynebacterium diphtheriaeutilizes heme and hemoglobin (Hb) as iron sources for growth in low-iron environments. InC. diphtheriae, the two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) ChrSA and HrrSA are responsive to Hb levels and regulate the transcription of promoters forhmuO,hrtAB, andhemA. ChrSA and HrrSA activate transcription at thehmuOpromoter and repress transcription athemAin an Hb-dependent manner. In this study, we show that HrrSA is the predominant repressor athemAand that its activity results in transcriptional repression in the presence and absence of Hb, whereas repression ofhemAby ChrSA is primarily responsive to Hb. DNA binding studies showed that both ChrA and HrrA bind to thehemApromoter region at virtually identical sequences. ChrA binding was enhanced by phosphorylation, while binding to DNA by HrrA was independent of its phosphorylation state. ChrA and HrrA are phosphorylatedin vitroby the sensor kinase ChrS, whereas no kinase activity was observed with HrrSin vitro. Phosphorylated ChrA was not observedin vivo, even in the presence of Hb, which is likely due to the instability of the phosphate moiety on ChrA. However, phosphorylation of HrrA was observedin vivoregardless of the presence of the Hb inducer, and genetic analysis indicates that ChrS is responsible for most of the phosphorylation of HrrAin vivo. Phosphorylation studies strongly suggest that HrrS functions primarily as a phosphatase and has only minimal kinase activity. These findings collectively show a complex mechanism of regulation at thehemApromoter, where both two-component systems act in concert to optimize expression of heme biosynthetic enzymes.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the mechanism by which two-component signal transduction systems function to respond to environmental stimuli is critical to the study of bacterial pathogenesis. The current study expands on the previous analyses of the ChrSA and HrrSA TCSs in the human pathogenC. diphtheriae. The findings here underscore the complex interactions between the ChrSA and HrrSA systems in the regulation of thehemApromoter and demonstrate how the two systems complement one another to refine and control transcription in the presence and absence of Hb.

scholarly journals MprAB Is a Stress-Responsive Two-Component System That Directly Regulates Expression of Sigma Factors SigB and SigE in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (6) ◽  
pp. 2134-2143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjun He ◽  
Raymond Hovey ◽  
Jason Kane ◽  
Vineet Singh ◽  
Thomas C. Zahrt
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Sigma Factors ◽  
Two Component System ◽  
Direct Role ◽  
Component System ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction

ABSTRACT The genetic mechanisms mediating the adaptation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within the host are poorly understood. The best-characterized regulatory systems in this organism include sigma factors and two-component signal transduction systems. mprAB is a two-component system required by M. tuberculosis for growth in vivo during the persistent stage of infection. In this report, we demonstrate that MprAB is stress responsive and regulates the expression of numerous stress-responsive genes in M. tuberculosis. With DNA microarrays and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR, genes regulated by MprA in M. tuberculosis that included two stress-responsive sigma factors were identified. Response regulator MprA bound to conserved motifs in the upstream regions of both sigB and sigE in vitro and regulated the in vivo expression of sigB and sigE in M. tuberculosis. In addition, mprA itself was induced following exposure to stress, establishing a direct role for this regulatory system in stress response pathways of M. tuberculosis. Induction of mprA and sigE by MprA in response to stress was mediated through the cognate sensor kinase MprB and required expression of the extracytoplasmic loop domain. These results provide the first evidence that recognition of and adaptation to specific stress in M. tuberculosis are mediated through activation of a two-component signal transduction system that directly regulates the expression of stress-responsive determinants.

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of theMycobacterium tuberculosis MprAB Two-Component SignalTransductionSystem

2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 6962-6970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas C. Zahrt ◽  
Christopher Wozniak ◽  
Denise Jones ◽  
Andrea Trevett
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Persistent Infection ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Sensor Kinase ◽  
Two Component System ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction

ABSTRACT The mechanisms utilized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to establish, maintain, or reactivate from latent infection in the host are largely unknown but likely include genes that mediate adaptation to conditions encountered during persistence. Previously, a two-component signal transduction system, mprAB, was found to be required in M. tuberculosis for establishment and maintenance of persistent infection in a tissue- and stage-specific fashion. To begin to characterize the role of this system in M. tuberculosis physiology and virulence, a functional analysis of the mprA and mprB gene products was initiated. Here, evidence is presented demonstrating that sensor kinase MprB and response regulator MprA function as an intact signal-transducing pair in vitro and in vivo. Sensor kinase MprB can be autophosphorylated, can donate phosphate to MprA, and can act as a phospho-MprA phosphatase in vitro. Correspondingly, response regulator MprA can accept phosphate from MprB or from small phosphodonors including acetyl phosphate. Mutagenesis of residues His249 in MprB and Asp48 in MprA abolished the ability of these proteins to be phosphorylated in vitro. Introduction of these alleles into Mycobacterium bovis BCGattenuated virulence in macrophages in vivo. Together, these results support a role for the mprAB two-component system in M. tuberculosis physiology and pathogenesis. Characterization of two-component signal transduction systems will enhance our understanding of processes regulated by M. tuberculosis during acute and/or persistent infection in the host.

scholarly journals Functional reconstitution of the Salmonella typhimurium PhoQ histidine kinase sensor in proteoliposomes

2005 ◽  
Vol 390 (3) ◽  
pp. 769-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Sanowar ◽  
Hervé Le Moual
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Histidine Kinase ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Phosphoryl Group ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction ◽  
High Concentrations

Two-component signal-transduction systems are widespread in bacteria. They are usually composed of a transmembrane histidine kinase sensor and a cytoplasmic response regulator. The PhoP/PhoQ two-component system of Salmonella typhimurium contributes to virulence by co-ordinating the adaptation to low concentrations of environmental Mg2+. Limiting concentrations of extracellular Mg2+ activate the PhoP/PhoQ phosphorylation cascade modulating the transcription of PhoP-regulated genes. In contrast, high concentrations of extracellular Mg2+ stimulate the dephosphorylation of the response regulator PhoP by the PhoQ kinase sensor. In the present study, we report the purification and functional reconstitution of PhoQHis, a PhoQ variant with a C-terminal His tag, into Escherichia coli liposomes. The functionality of PhoQHis was essentially similar to that of PhoQ as shown in vivo and in vitro. Purified PhoQHis was inserted into liposomes in a unidirectional orientation, with the sensory domain facing the lumen and the catalytic domain facing the extraluminal environment. Reconstituted PhoQHis exhibited all the catalytic activities that have been described for histidine kinase sensors. Reconstituted PhoQHis was capable of autokinase activity when incubated in the presence of Mg2+-ATP. The phosphoryl group could be transferred from reconstituted PhoQHis to PhoP. Reconstituted PhoQHis catalysed the dephosphorylation of phospho-PhoP and this activity was stimulated by the addition of extraluminal ADP.

scholarly journals Identification of a Novel Essential Two-Component Signal Transduction System, YhcSR, in Staphylococcus aureus

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (22) ◽  
pp. 7876-7880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junsong Sun ◽  
Li Zheng ◽  
Christina Landwehr ◽  
Junshu Yang ◽  
Yinduo Ji
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Bacterial Growth ◽  
Antisense Rna ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Gene Replacement ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction

ABSTRACT Two-component signal transduction systems play an important role in the ability of bacteria to adapt to various environments by sensing changes in their habitat and by altering gene expression. In this study, we report a novel two-component system, YhcSR, in Staphylococcus aureus which is required for bacterial growth in vitro. We found that the down-regulation of yhcSR expression by induced yhcS antisense RNA can inhibit and terminate bacterial growth. Moreover, without complementary yhcS or yhcR, no viable yhcS or yhcR gene replacement mutant was recoverable. Collectively, these results demonstrated that the YhcSR regulatory system is indispensable for S. aureus growth in culture. Moreover, induced yhcS antisense RNA selectively increased bacterial susceptibility to phosphomycin. These data suggest that YhcSR probably modulates the expression of genes critical for bacterial survival and may be a potential target for the development of novel antibacterial agents.

In vitro phosphorylation study of the Arc two-component signal transduction system of Mannheimia succiniciproducens

2007 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
pp. S16
Author(s):  
Won Seok Jung ◽  
Young Ryul Jung ◽  
Jong Moon Shin ◽  
Doo-Byoung Oh ◽  
Hyun Ah Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Signal Transduction System ◽  
Mannheimia Succiniciproducens ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction

scholarly journals Endothelial Sphingolipid De Novo Synthesis Controls Blood Pressure by Regulating Signal Transduction and NO via Ceramide

Hypertension ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1279-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Cantalupo ◽  
Linda Sasset ◽  
Antonella Gargiulo ◽  
Luisa Rubinelli ◽  
Ilaria Del Gaudio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Serine Palmitoyltransferase ◽  
Blood Pressure Homeostasis

Ceramides are sphingolipids that modulate a variety of cellular processes via 2 major mechanisms: functioning as second messengers and regulating membrane biophysical properties, particularly lipid rafts, important signaling platforms. Altered sphingolipid levels have been implicated in many cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus–related conditions; however, molecular mechanisms by which ceramides impact endothelial functions remain poorly understood. In this regard, we generated mice defective of endothelial sphingolipid de novo biosynthesis by deleting the Sptlc2 (long chain subunit 2 of serine palmitoyltransferase)—the first enzyme of the pathway. Our study demonstrated that endothelial sphingolipid de novo production is necessary to regulate (1) signal transduction in response to NO agonists and, mainly via ceramides, (2) resting eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) phosphorylation, and (3) blood pressure homeostasis. Specifically, our findings suggest a prevailing role of C16:0-Cer in preserving vasodilation induced by tyrosine kinase and GPCRs (G-protein coupled receptors), except for Gq-coupled receptors, while C24:0- and C24:1-Cer control flow-induced vasodilation. Replenishing C16:0-Cer in vitro and in vivo reinstates endothelial cell signaling and vascular tone regulation. This study reveals an important role of locally produced ceramides, particularly C16:0-, C24:0-, and C24:1-Cer in vascular and blood pressure homeostasis, and establishes the endothelium as a key source of plasma ceramides. Clinically, specific plasma ceramides ratios are independent predictors of major cardiovascular events. Our data also suggest that plasma ceramides might be indicative of the diseased state of the endothelium.

scholarly journals The CpxRA Two-Component System Is Essential for Citrobacter rodentium Virulence

2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 1919-1928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny-Lee Thomassin ◽  
Natalia Giannakopoulou ◽  
Lei Zhu ◽  
Jeremy Gross ◽  
Kristiana Salmon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Citrobacter Rodentium ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Signal Transduction System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Signal Transduction

Citrobacter rodentiumis a murine intestinal pathogen used as a model for the foodborne human pathogens enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coliand enteropathogenicE. coli. During infection, these pathogens use two-component signal transduction systems to detect and adapt to changing environmental conditions. InE. coli, the CpxRA two-component signal transduction system responds to envelope stress by modulating the expression of a myriad of genes. Quantitative real-time PCR showed thatcpxRAwas expressed in the colon of C57BL/6J mice infected withC. rodentium. To determine whether CpxRA plays a role duringC. rodentiuminfection, acpxRAdeletion strain was generated and found to have a colonization defect during infection. This defect was independent of an altered growth rate or a defective type III secretion system, and single-copy chromosomal complementation ofcpxRArestored virulence. TheC. rodentiumstrains were then tested in C3H/HeJ mice, a lethal intestinal infection model. Mice infected with the ΔcpxRAstrain survived infection, whereas mice infected with the wild-type or complemented strains succumbed to infection. Furthermore, we found that thecpxRAexpression level was higher during early infection than at a later time point. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the CpxRA two-component signal transduction system is essential for thein vivovirulence ofC. rodentium. In addition, these data suggest that fine-tunedcpxRAexpression is important for infection. This is the first study that identifies aC. rodentiumtwo-component transduction system required for pathogenesis. This study further indicates that CpxRA is an interesting target for therapeutics against enteric pathogens.

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