Genomic Targets and Features of BarA-UvrY (-SirA) Signal Transduction Systems
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Using ChIP-exo, we have identified at single nucleotide resolution genomic binding sites for UvrY in E. coli and its homolog SirA in S. Typhimurium.
ORGANISM(S): Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium str. 14028S Escherichia coli str. K-12 substr. MG1655
Project description:The two-component signal transduction system BarA-UvrY of Escherichia coli and its orthologs globally regulate metabolism, motility, biofilm formation, stress resistance, virulence of pathogens and quorum sensing by activating the transcription of genes for regulatory sRNAs, e.g. CsrB and CsrC in E. coli. These sRNAs act by sequestering the RNA binding protein CsrA (RsmA) away from lower affinity mRNA targets. In this study, we used ChIP-exo to identify, at single nucleotide resolution, genomic sites for UvrY (SirA) binding in E. coli and Salmonella enterica. The csrB and csrC genes were the strongest targets of crosslinking, which required UvrY phosphorylation by the BarA sensor kinase. Crosslinking occurred at two sites, an inverted repeat sequence far upstream of the promoter and a site near the -35 sequence. DNAse I footprinting revealed specific binding of UvrY in vitro only to the upstream site, indicative of additional binding requirements and/or indirect binding to the downstream site. Additional genes, including cspA, encoding the cold-shock RNA-binding protein CspA, showed weaker crosslinking and modest or negligible regulation by UvrY. We conclude that the global effects of UvrY/SirA on gene expression are primarily mediated by activating csrB and csrC transcription. We also used in vivo crosslinking and other experimental approaches to reveal new features of csrB/csrC regulation by the DeaD and SrmB RNA helicases, IHF, ppGpp and DksA. Finally, the phylogenetic distribution of BarA-UvrY was analyzed and found to be uniquely characteristic of γ-Proteobacteria and strongly anti-correlated with fliW, which encodes a protein that binds to CsrA and antagonizes its activity in Bacillus subtilis. We propose that BarA-UvrY and orthologous TCS transcribe sRNA antagonists of CsrA throughout the γ-Proteobacteria, but rarely or never perform this function in other species.
Project description:Two component sensor-response regulator systems (TCSs) are very common in the genomes of the Streptomyces species that have been fully sequenced to date. It has been suggested that this large number is an evolutionary response to the variable environment that Streptomyces encounter in soil. Notwithstanding this, TCSs are also more common in the sequenced genomes of other Actinomycetales when these are compared to the genomes of most other eubacteria. In this study, we have used DNA/DNA genome microarray analysis to compare fourteen Streptomyces species and one closely related genus to Streptomyces coelicolor in order to identify a core group of such systems. This core group is compared to the syntenous and non-syntenous TCSs present in the genome sequences of other Actinomycetales in order to separate the systems into those present in Actinomycetales in general, the Streptomyces specific systems and the species specific systems. Horizontal transfer does not seem to play a very important role in the evolution of the TCS complement analyzed in this study. However, cognate pairs do not necessarily seem to evolve at the same pace, which may indicate the evolutionary responses to environmental variation may be reflected differently in sequence changes within the two components of the TCSs. The overall analysis allowed subclassification of the orphan TCSs and the TCS cognate pairs and identification of possible targets for further study using gene knockouts, gene overexpression, reporter genes and yeast two hybrid analysis.
Project description:Two component sensor-response regulator systems (TCSs) are very common in the genomes of the Streptomyces species that have been fully sequenced to date. It has been suggested that this large number is an evolutionary response to the variable environment that Streptomyces encounter in soil. Notwithstanding this, TCSs are also more common in the sequenced genomes of other Actinomycetales when these are compared to the genomes of most other eubacteria. In this study, we have used DNA/DNA genome microarray analysis to compare fourteen Streptomyces species and one closely related genus to Streptomyces coelicolor in order to identify a core group of such systems. This core group is compared to the syntenous and non-syntenous TCSs present in the genome sequences of other Actinomycetales in order to separate the systems into those present in Actinomycetales in general, the Streptomyces specific systems and the species specific systems. Horizontal transfer does not seem to play a very important role in the evolution of the TCS complement analyzed in this study. However, cognate pairs do not necessarily seem to evolve at the same pace, which may indicate the evolutionary responses to environmental variation may be reflected differently in sequence changes within the two components of the TCSs. The overall analysis allowed subclassification of the orphan TCSs and the TCS cognate pairs and identification of possible targets for further study using gene knockouts, gene overexpression, reporter genes and yeast two hybrid analysis. DNA/DNA comparative analysis using the University of Surrey PCR Microarray chip
Project description:Two-component signal transduction systems are the predominant means by which bacteria sense and respond to environmental stimuli. Bacteria often employ tens or hundreds of these paralogous signaling systems, comprised of histidine kinases (HKs) and their cognate response regulators (RRs). Faithful transmission of information through these signaling pathways and avoidance of detrimental crosstalk demand exquisite specificity of HK-RR interactions. To identify the determinants of two-component signaling specificity, we examined patterns of amino acid coevolution in large, multiple sequence alignments of cognate kinase-regulator pairs. Guided by these results, we demonstrate that a subset of the coevolving residues is sufficient, when mutated, to completely switch the substrate specificity of the kinase EnvZ. Our results shed light on the basis of molecular discrimination in two-component signaling pathways, provide a general approach for the rational rewiring of these pathways, and suggest that analyses of coevolution may facilitate the reprogramming of other signaling systems and protein-protein interactions.
Project description:Bacteria possess a large number of signal transduction systems that sense and respond to different environmental cues. Most frequently these are transcriptional regulators, two-component systems and chemosensory pathways. A major bottleneck in the field of signal transduction is the lack of information on signal molecules that modulate the activity of the large majority of these systems. We review here the progress made in the functional annotation of sensor proteins using high-throughput ligand screening approaches of purified sensor proteins or individual ligand binding domains. In these assays, the alteration in protein thermal stability following ligand binding is monitored using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry. We illustrate on several examples how the identification of the sensor protein ligand has facilitated the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the regulatory process. We will also discuss the use of virtual ligand screening approaches to identify sensor protein ligands. Both approaches have been successfully applied to functionally annotate a significant number of bacterial sensor proteins but can also be used to study proteins from other kingdoms. The major challenge consists in the study of sensor proteins that do not recognize signal molecules directly, but that are activated by signal molecule-loaded binding proteins.
Project description:UnlabelledTwo-component systems (TCS) comprise histidine kinases and their cognate response regulators and allow bacteria to sense and respond to a wide variety of signals. Histidine kinases (HKs) phosphorylate and dephosphorylate their cognate response regulators (RRs) in response to stimuli. In general, these reactions appear to be highly specific and require an appropriate association between the HK and RR proteins. The Myxococcus xanthus genome encodes one of the largest repertoires of signaling proteins in bacteria (685 open reading frames [ORFs]), including at least 127 HKs and at least 143 RRs. Of these, 27 are bona fide NtrC-family response regulators, 21 of which are encoded adjacent to their predicted cognate kinases. Using system-wide profiling methods, we determined that the HK-NtrC RR pairs display a kinetic preference during both phosphotransfer and phosphatase functions, thereby defining cognate signaling systems in M. xanthus. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements indicated that cognate HK-RR pairs interact with dissociation constants (Kd) of approximately 1 µM, while noncognate pairs had no measurable binding. Lastly, a chimera generated between the histidine kinase, CrdS, and HK1190 revealed that residues conferring phosphotransfer and phosphatase specificity dictate binding affinity, thereby establishing discrete protein-protein interactions which prevent cross talk. The data indicate that binding affinity is a critical parameter governing system-wide signaling fidelity for bacterial signal transduction proteins.ImportanceUsing in vitro phosphotransfer and phosphatase profiling assays and isothermal titration calorimetry, we have taken a system-wide approach to demonstrate specificity for a family of two-component signaling proteins in Myxococcus xanthus. Our results demonstrate that previously identified specificity residues dictate binding affinity and that phosphatase specificity follows phosphotransfer specificity for cognate HK-RR pairs. The data indicate that preferential binding affinity is the basis for signaling fidelity in bacterial two-component systems.
Project description:Cells use signal transduction across their membranes to sense and respond to a wide array of chemical and physical signals. Creating synthetic systems which can harness cellular signaling modalities promises to provide a powerful platform for biosensing and therapeutic applications. As a first step toward this goal, we investigated how bacterial two-component systems (TCSs) can be leveraged to enable transmembrane-signaling with synthetic membranes. Specifically, we demonstrate that a bacterial two-component nitrate-sensing system (NarX-NarL) can be reproduced outside of a cell using synthetic membranes and cell-free protein expression systems. We find that performance and sensitivity of the TCS can be tuned by altering the biophysical properties of the membrane in which the histidine kinase (NarX) is integrated. Through protein engineering efforts, we modify the sensing domain of NarX to generate sensors capable of detecting an array of ligands. Finally, we demonstrate that these systems can sense ligands in relevant sample environments. By leveraging membrane and protein design, this work helps reveal how transmembrane sensing can be recapitulated outside of the cell, adding to the arsenal of deployable cell-free systems primed for real world biosensing.
Project description:Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe nosocomial infections. Strain ATCC 19606(T) utilizes the siderophore acinetobactin to acquire iron under iron-limiting conditions encountered in the host. Accordingly, the genome of this strain has three tonB genes encoding proteins for energy transduction functions needed for the active transport of nutrients, including iron, through the outer membrane. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that these tonB genes, which are present in the genomes of all sequenced A. baumannii strains, were acquired from different sources. Two of these genes occur as components of tonB-exbB-exbD operons and one as a monocistronic copy; all are actively transcribed in ATCC 19606(T). The abilities of components of these TonB systems to complement the growth defect of Escherichia coli W3110 mutants KP1344 (tonB) and RA1051 (exbBD) under iron-chelated conditions further support the roles of these TonB systems in iron acquisition. Mutagenesis analysis of ATCC 19606(T) tonB1 (subscripted numbers represent different copies of genes or proteins) and tonB2 supports this hypothesis: their inactivation results in growth defects in iron-chelated media, without affecting acinetobactin biosynthesis or the production of the acinetobactin outer membrane receptor protein BauA. In vivo assays using Galleria mellonella show that each TonB protein is involved in, but not essential for, bacterial virulence in this infection model. Furthermore, we observed that TonB2 plays a role in the ability of bacteria to bind to fibronectin and to adhere to A549 cells by uncharacterized mechanisms. Taken together, these results indicate that A. baumannii ATCC 19606(T) produces three independent TonB proteins, which appear to provide the energy-transducing functions needed for iron acquisition and cellular processes that play a role in the virulence of this pathogen.
Project description:Bacteria rapidly adapt to their environment by integrating external stimuli through diverse signal transduction systems. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, for example, senses surface contact through the Wsp signal transduction system to trigger the production of cyclic di-GMP. Diverse mutations in wsp genes that manifest enhanced biofilm formation are frequently reported in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and in biofilm studies of Pseudomonas spp. and Burkholderia cenocepacia. In contrast to the convergent phenotypes associated with comparable wsp mutations, we demonstrate that the Wsp system in B. cenocepacia does not impact intracellular cyclic di-GMP levels, unlike that in Pseudomonas spp. Our current mechanistic understanding of the Wsp system is based entirely on the study of four Pseudomonas spp., and its phylogenetic distribution remains unknown. Here, we present a broad phylogenetic analysis to show that the Wsp system originated in the betaproteobacteria and then horizontally transferred to Pseudomonas spp., the sole member of the gammaproteobacteria. Alignment of 794 independent Wsp systems with reported mutations from the literature identified key amino acid residues that fall within and outside annotated functional domains. Specific residues that are highly conserved but uniquely modified in B. cenocepacia likely define mechanistic differences among Wsp systems. We also find the greatest sequence variation in the extracellular sensory domain of WspA, indicating potential adaptations to diverse external stimuli beyond surface contact sensing. This study emphasizes the need to better understand the breadth of functional diversity of the Wsp system as a major regulator of bacterial adaptation beyond B. cenocepacia and select Pseudomonas spp. IMPORTANCE The Wsp signal transduction system serves as an important model system for studying how bacteria adapt to living in densely structured communities known as biofilms. Biofilms frequently cause chronic infections and environmental fouling, and they are very difficult to eradicate. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the Wsp system senses contact with a surface, which in turn activates specific genes that promote biofilm formation. We demonstrate that the Wsp system in Burkholderia cenocepacia regulates biofilm formation uniquely from that in Pseudomonas species. Furthermore, a broad phylogenetic analysis reveals the presence of the Wsp system in diverse bacterial species, and sequence analyses of 794 independent systems suggest that the core signaling components function similarly but with key differences that may alter what or how they sense. This study shows that Wsp systems are highly conserved and more broadly distributed than previously thought, and their unique differences likely reflect adaptations to distinct environments.