Dataset Information

NosP Modulates Cyclic-di-GMP Signaling in Legionella pneumophila.

ABSTRACT: Biofilms form when bacteria adhere to a surface and secrete an extracellular polymeric substance. Bacteria embedded within a biofilm benefit from increased resistance to antibiotics, host immune responses, and harsh environmental factors. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule that can modulate communal behavior, including biofilm formation, in many bacteria. In many cases, NO-induced biofilm dispersal is accomplished through signal transduction pathways that ultimately lead to a decrease in intracellular cyclic-di-GMP levels. H-NOX (heme nitric oxide/oxygen binding domain) proteins are the best characterized bacterial NO sensors and have been implicated in NO-mediated cyclic-di-GMP signaling, but we have recently discovered a second family of NO-sensitive proteins in bacteria named NosP (NO sensing protein); to date, a clear link between NosP signaling and cyclic-di-GMP metabolism has not been established. Here we present evidence that NosP (Lpg0279) binds to NO and directly affects cyclic-di-GMP production from two-component signaling proteins Lpg0278 and Lpg0277 encoded within the NosP operon. Lpg0278 and Lpg0277 are a histidine kinase and cyclic-di-GMP synthase/phosphodiesterase, respectively, that have already been established as being important in regulating Legionella pneumophila cyclic-di-GMP levels; NosP is thus implicated in regulating cyclic-di-GMP in L. pneumophila.

SUBMITTER: Fischer JT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6812680 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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NosP Modulates Cyclic-di-GMP Signaling in <i>Legionella pneumophila</i>.

Fischer Jonathan T JT Hossain Sajjad S Boon Elizabeth M EM

Biochemistry 20191009 42

Biofilms form when bacteria adhere to a surface and secrete an extracellular polymeric substance. Bacteria embedded within a biofilm benefit from increased resistance to antibiotics, host immune responses, and harsh environmental factors. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule that can modulate communal behavior, including biofilm formation, in many bacteria. In many cases, NO-induced biofilm dispersal is accomplished through signal transduction pathways that ultimately lead to a decrease in ...[more]

PMID: 31576744

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Project description:During its life cycle, the environmental pathogen Legionella pneumophila alternates between a replicative and transmissive cell type when cultured in broth, macrophages, or amoebae. Within a protozoan host, L. pneumophila further differentiates into the hardy cell type known as the mature infectious form (MIF). The second messenger cyclic di-GMP coordinates lifestyle changes in many bacterial species, but its role in the L. pneumophila life cycle is less understood. Using an in vitro broth culture model that approximates the intracellular transition from the replicative to the transmissive form, here we investigate the contribution to L. pneumophila differentiation of a two-component system (TCS) that regulates cyclic di-GMP metabolism. The TCS is encoded by lpg0278-lpg0277 and is cotranscribed with lpg0279, which encodes a protein upregulated in MIF cells. The promoter for this operon is RpoS dependent and induced in nutrient-limiting conditions that do not support replication, as demonstrated using a gfp reporter and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The response regulator of the TCS (Lpg0277) is a bifunctional enzyme that both synthesizes and degrades cyclic di-GMP. Using a panel of site-directed point mutants, we show that cyclic di-GMP synthesis mediated by a conserved GGDEF domain promotes growth arrest of replicative L. pneumophila, accumulation of pigment and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate storage granules, and viability in nutrient-limiting conditions. Genetic epistasis tests predict that the MIF protein Lpg0279 acts as a negative regulator of the TCS. Thus, L. pneumophila is equipped with a regulatory network in which cyclic di-GMP stimulates the switch from a replicative to a resilient state equipped to survive in low-nutrient environments.IMPORTANCE Although an intracellular pathogen, L. pneumophila has developed mechanisms to ensure long-term survival in low-nutrient aqueous conditions. Eradication of L. pneumophila from contaminated water supplies has proven challenging, as outbreaks have been traced to previously remediated systems. Understanding the genetic determinants that support L. pneumophila persistence in low-nutrient environments can inform design and assessment of remediation strategies. Here we characterize a genetic locus that encodes a two-component signaling system (lpg0278-lpg0277) and a putative regulator protein (lpg0279) that modulates the production of the messenger molecule cyclic di-GMP. We show that this locus promotes both L. pneumophila cell differentiation and survival in nutrient-limiting conditions, thus advancing the understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to L. pneumophila environmental resilience.

Dataset Information

NosP Modulates Cyclic-di-GMP Signaling in Legionella pneumophila.

Publications

NosP Modulates Cyclic-di-GMP Signaling in <i>Legionella pneumophila</i>.

Similar Datasets

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