scholarly journals The Intracellular Concentration of Acetyl Phosphate in Escherichia coli Is Sufficient for Direct Phosphorylation of Two-Component Response Regulators

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (15) ◽  
pp. 5574-5581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H. Klein ◽  
Ana Shulla ◽  
Sylvia A. Reimann ◽  
David H. Keating ◽  
Alan J. Wolfe

ABSTRACT Acetyl phosphate, the intermediate of the AckA-Pta pathway, acts as a global signal in Escherichia coli. Although acetyl phosphate clearly signals through two-component response regulators, it remains unclear whether acetyl phosphate acts as a direct phospho donor or functions through an indirect mechanism. We used two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography to measure the relative concentrations of acetyl phosphate, acetyl coenzyme A, ATP, and GTP over the course of the entire growth curve. We estimated that the intracellular concentration of acetyl phosphate in wild-type cells reaches at least 3 mM, a concentration sufficient to activate two-component response regulators via direct phosphoryl transfer.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Xue Bai ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Haikun Zhang ◽  
Xiaoke Hu

Abstract Background A wide variety of bacterial adaptative responses to environmental conditions are mediated by signal transduction pathways. Two-component signal transduction systems are one of the predominant means used by bacteria to sense the signals of the host plant and adjust their interaction behaviour. A total of seven open reading frames have been identified as putative two-component response regulators in the gram-negative nitrogen-fixing bacteria Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571. However, the biological functions of these response regulators in the symbiotic interactions between A. caulinodans ORS571 and the host plant Sesbania rostrata have not been elucidated to date. Results In this study, we identified and investigated a two-component response regulator, AcfR, with a phosphorylatable N-terminal REC (receiver) domain and a C-terminal HTH (helix-turn-helix) LuxR DNA-binding domain in A. caulinodans ORS571. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AcfR possessed close evolutionary relationships with NarL/FixJ family regulators. In addition, six histidine kinases containing HATPase_c and HisKA domains were predicted to interact with AcfR. Furthermore, the biological function of AcfR in free-living and symbiotic conditions was elucidated by comparing the wild-type strain and the ΔacfR mutant strain. In the free-living state, the cell motility behaviour and exopolysaccharide production of the ΔacfR mutant were significantly reduced compared to those of the wild-type strain. In the symbiotic state, the ΔacfR mutant showed a competitive nodule defect on the stems and roots of the host plant, suggesting that AcfR can provide A. caulinodans with an effective competitive ability for symbiotic nodulation. Conclusions Our results showed that AcfR, as a response regulator, regulates numerous phenotypes of A. caulinodans under the free-living conditions and in symbiosis with the host plant. The results of this study help to elucidate the involvement of a REC + HTH_LuxR two-component response regulator in the Rhizobium-host plant interaction.


Microbiology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 150 (4) ◽  
pp. 877-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo G. Janausch ◽  
Inma Garcia-Moreno ◽  
Daniela Lehnen ◽  
Yvonne Zeuner ◽  
Gottfried Unden

The function of the response regulator DcuR of the DcuSR fumarate two-component sensory system of Escherichia coli was analysed in vitro. Isolated DcuR protein was phosphorylated by the sensory histidine kinase, DcuS, and ATP, or by acetyl phosphate. In gel retardation assays with target promoters (frdA, dcuB, dctA), phosphoryl DcuR (DcuR-P) formed a high-affinity complex, with an apparent K D (app. K D) of 0·2–0·3 μM DcuR-P, and a low-affinity (app. K D 0·8–2 μM) complex. The high-affinity complex was formed only with promoters transcriptionally-regulated by DcuSR, whereas low-affinity binding was seen also with some DcuSR-independent promoters. The binding site of DcuR-P at the dcuB promoter was determined by DNase I footprinting. One binding site of 42–52 nt (position −359 to −400/−410 nt upstream of the transcriptional start) was identified in the presence of low and high concentrations of DcuR-P. Non-phosphorylated DcuR, or DcuR-D56N mutated in the phosphoryl-accepting Asp56 residue, showed low-affinity binding to target promoters. DcuR-D56N was still able to interact with DcuS. DcuR-D56N increased the phosphorylation of DcuS and competitively inhibited phosphoryl transfer to wild-type DcuR.


Gut Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutao Liu ◽  
Shujie Li ◽  
Wendi Li ◽  
Peisheng Wang ◽  
Peng Ding ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC O157) causes bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. EHEC O157 encounters varied microenvironments during infection, and can efficiently adapt to these using the two-component system (TCS). Recently, a functional TCS, RstAB, has been implicated in the regulation of virulence of several bacterial pathogens. However, the regulatory function of RstAB in EHEC O157 is poorly understood. This study aimed at providing insights into the global effects of RstA on gene expression in EHEC O157. Results In the present study, we analyzed gene expression differences between the EHEC O157 wild-type strain and a ΔrstA mutant using RNA-seq technology. Genes with differential expression in the ΔrstA mutant compared to that in the wild-type strain were identified and grouped into clusters of orthologous categories. RstA promoted EHEC O157 LEE gene expression, adhesion in vitro, and colonization in vivo by indirect regulation. We also found that RstA could bind directly to the promoter region of hdeA and yeaI to enhance acid tolerance and decrease biofilm formation by modulating the concentration of c-di-GMP. Conclusions In summary, the RstAB TCS in EHEC O157 plays a major role in the regulation of virulence, acid tolerance, and biofilm formation. We clarified the regulatory function of RstA, providing an insight into mechanisms that may be potential drug targets for treatment of EHEC O157-related infections.


2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 5760-5767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Anfora ◽  
David K. Halladin ◽  
Brian J. Haugen ◽  
Rodney A. Welch

ABSTRACT In vivo accumulation of d-serine by Escherichia coli CFT073 leads to elevated expression of PAP fimbriae and hemolysin by an unknown mechanism. Loss of d-serine catabolism by CFT073 leads to a competitive advantage during murine urinary tract infection (UTI), but loss of both d- and l-serine catabolism results in attenuation. Serine is the first amino acid to be consumed in closed tryptone broth cultures and precedes the production of acetyl phosphate, a high-energy molecule involved in intracellular signaling, and the eventual secretion of acetate. We propose that the colonization defect associated with the loss of serine catabolism is due to perturbations of acetate metabolism. CFT073 grows more rapidly on acetogenic substrates than does E. coli K-12 isolate MG1655. As shown by transcription microarray results, d-serine is catabolized into acetate via the phosphotransacetylase (pta) and acetate kinase (ackA) genes while downregulating expression of acetyl coenzyme A synthase (acs). CFT073 acs, which is unable to reclaim secreted acetate, colonized mouse bladders and kidneys in the murine model of UTI indistinguishably from the wild type. Both pta and ackA are involved in the maintenance of intracellular acetyl phosphate. CFT073 pta and ackA mutants were screened to investigate the role of acetyl phosphate in UTI pathogenesis. Both single mutants are at a competitive disadvantage relative to the wild type in the kidneys but normally colonize the bladder. CFT073 ackA pta was attenuated in both the bladder and the kidneys. Thus, we demonstrate that CFT073 is adapted to acetate metabolism as a result of requiring a proper cycling of the acetyl phosphate pathway for colonization of the upper urinary tract.


1993 ◽  
Vol 175 (10) ◽  
pp. 2793-2798 ◽  
Author(s):  
W R McCleary ◽  
J B Stock ◽  
A J Ninfa

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (8) ◽  
pp. 2563-2570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Lesley ◽  
Carey D. Waldburger

ABSTRACT The PhoP-PhoQ two-component system regulates the transcription of numerous genes in response to changes in extracellular divalent cation concentration and pH. Here we demonstrate that the Escherichia coli PhoP-PhoQ two-component system also responds to acetate. Signaling by the E. coli PhoP-PhoQ system was repressed during growth in acetate (≥25 mM) in a PhoQ-dependent manner. The periplasmic sensor domain of PhoQ was not required for acetate to repress signaling. Acetate-mediated repression of the PhoP-PhoQ system was not related to changes in the intracellular concentration of acetate metabolites such as acetyl-phosphate or acetyladenylate. Genetic analysis of acetate metabolism pathways suggested that a perturbation of acetyl coenzyme A turnover was the cause of decreased PhoP-PhoQ signaling during growth in acetate. Consistent with this hypothesis, intracellular acetyl coenzyme A levels rose during growth in the presence of exogenous acetate. Acetyl coenzyme A inhibited the autokinase activity of PhoQ in vitro, suggesting that the in vivo repressing effect may be due to a direct inhibition mechanism.


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (11) ◽  
pp. 3869-3876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris E. Noriega ◽  
Radomir Schmidt ◽  
Michael J. Gray ◽  
Li-Ling Chen ◽  
Valley Stewart

ABSTRACT NarX-NarL and NarQ-NarP are paralogous two-component regulatory systems that control Escherichia coli gene expression in response to the respiratory oxidants nitrate and nitrite. Nitrate stimulates the autophosphorylation rates of the NarX and NarQ sensors, which then phosphorylate the response regulators NarL and NarP to activate and repress target operon transcription. Here, we investigated both the autophosphorylation and dephosphorylation of soluble sensors in which the maltose binding protein (MBP) has replaced the amino-terminal transmembrane sensory domain. The apparent affinities (Km ) for ADP were similar for both proteins, about 2 μM, whereas the affinity of MBP-NarQ for ATP was lower, about 23 μM. At a saturating concentration of ATP, the rate constant of MBP-NarX autophosphorylation (about 0.5 × 10−4 s−1) was lower than that observed for MBP-NarQ (about 2.2 × 10−4 s−1). At a saturating concentration of ADP, the rate constant of dephosphorylation was higher than that of autophosphorylation, about 0.03 s−1 for MBP-NarX and about 0.01 s−1 for MBP-NarQ. For other studied sensors, the published affinities for ADP range from about 16 μM (KinA) to about 40 μM (NtrB). This suggests that only a small proportion of NarX and NarQ remain phosphorylated in the absence of nitrate, resulting in efficient response regulator dephosphorylation by the remaining unphosphorylated sensors.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (21) ◽  
pp. 7403-7410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celeste N. Peterson ◽  
Natividad Ruiz ◽  
Thomas J. Silhavy

ABSTRACT In Escherichia coli the response regulator SprE (RssB) facilitates degradation of the sigma factor RpoS by delivering it to the ClpXP protease. This process is regulated: RpoS is degraded in logarithmic phase but becomes stable upon carbon starvation, resulting in its accumulation. Because SprE contains a CheY domain with a conserved phosphorylation site (D58), the prevailing model posits that this control is mediated by phosphorylation. To test this model, we mutated the conserved response regulator phosphorylation site (D58A) of the chromosomal allele of sprE and monitored RpoS levels in response to carbon starvation. Though phosphorylation contributed to the SprE basal activity, we found that RpoS proteolysis was still regulated upon carbon starvation. Furthermore, our results indicate that phosphorylation of wild-type SprE occurs by a mechanism that is independent of acetyl phosphate.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iskander M. Ibrahim ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Sujith Puthiyaveetil ◽  
Norbert Krauß ◽  
Jon Nield ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTwo-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) consist of sensor histidine kinases and response regulators. TCSs mediate adaptation to environmental changes in bacteria, plants, fungi, and protists. Histidine kinase 2 (Hik2) is a sensor histidine kinase found in all known cyanobacteria and as chloroplast sensor kinase in eukaryotic algae and plants. Sodium ions have been shown to inhibit the autophosphorylation activity of Hik2 that precedes phosphoryl transfer to response regulators, but the mechanism of inhibition has not been determined. We report on the mechanism of Hik2 activation and inactivation probed by chemical crosslinking and size exclusion chromatography together with direct visualisation of the kinase using negative-stain transmission electron microscopy of single particles. We show that the functional form of Hik2 is a higher order oligomer such as a hexamer or octamer. Increased NaCl concentration converts the active hexamer into an inactive tetramer. Furthermore, the action of NaCl appears to be confined to the Hik2 kinase domain.IMPORTANCEBacteria sense change and respond to it by means of two-component regulatory systems. The sensor component is a protein that becomes covalently modified by a phosphate group on a histidine side chain. The response regulator accepts the phosphate group onto an aspartate, with structural and functional consequences, often for gene transcription. Histidine kinase 2 is a sensor of sodium ion concentration and redox potential, regulating transcription of genes for light-harvesting and reaction center proteins of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts of algae and plants. Using radiolabeling, chemical crosslinking, chromatography and electron microscopy, we find that sodium ion concentration governs the oligomeric state of Histidine Kinase 2 and its phosphorylation by ATP.


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