Signaling between two interacting sensor kinases promotes biofilms and colonization by a bacterial symbiont Journal Article

Local Library Link: Find It @ Loyola

Authors: Norsworthy, A. N.; Visick, K. L.
Article Title: Signaling between two interacting sensor kinases promotes biofilms and colonization by a bacterial symbiont
Abstract: Cells acclimate to fluctuating environments by utilizing sensory circuits. One common sensory pathway used by bacteria is two-component signaling (TCS), composed of an environmental sensor (the sensor kinase, SK) and a cognate, intracellular effector (the response regulator, RR). The squid symbiont Vibrio fischeri uses an elaborate TCS phosphorelay containing a hybrid SK, RscS, and two RRs, SypE and SypG, to control biofilm formation and host colonization. Here, we found that another hybrid SK, SypF, was essential for biofilms by functioning downstream of RscS to directly control SypE and SypG. Surprisingly, although wild-type SypF functioned as a SK in vitro, this activity was dispensable for colonization. In fact, only a single non-enzymatic domain within SypF, the HPt domain, was critical in vivo. Remarkably, this domain within SypF interacted with RscS to permit a bypass of RscS's own HPt domain and SypF's enzymatic function. This represents the first in vivo example of a functional SK that exploits the enzymatic activity of another SK, an adaptation that demonstrates the elegant plasticity in the arrangement of TCS regulators.
Journal Title: Molecular microbiology
ISSN: 1365-2958; 0950-382X
Publisher: Wiley Periodicals, Inc  
Date Published: 2015
Language: ENG
DOI/URL:

10.1111/mmi.12932
Notes: LR: 20150115; CI: This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.; JID: 8712028; OTO: NOTNLM; 2014/12/08 [accepted]; aheadofprint