Download MendeleyA Conserved Regulatory Circuit Controls Large Adhesins in Vibrio cholerae.
Kitts, G., Giglio, K.M., Zamorano-Sanchez, D., Park, J.H., Townsley, L., Cooley, R.B., Wucher, B.R., Klose, K.E., Nadell, C.D., Yildiz, F.H., Sondermann, H.(2019) mBio 10
- PubMed: 31796544
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02822-19
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
6PWJ, 6PWK - PubMed Abstract:
The dinucleotide second messenger c-di-GMP has emerged as a central regulator of reversible cell attachment during bacterial biofilm formation. A prominent cell adhesion mechanism first identified in pseudomonads combines two c-di-GMP-mediated processes: transcription of a large adhesin and its cell surface display via posttranslational proteolytic control. Here, we characterize an orthologous c-di-GMP effector system and show that it is operational in Vibrio cholerae , where it regulates two distinct classes of adhesins. Through structural analyses, we reveal a conserved autoinhibition mechanism of the c-di-GMP receptor that controls adhesin proteolysis and present a structure of a c-di-GMP-bound receptor module. We further establish functionality of the periplasmic protease controlled by the receptor against the two adhesins. Finally, transcription and functional assays identify physiological roles of both c-di-GMP-regulated adhesins in surface attachment and biofilm formation. Together, our studies highlight the conservation of a highly efficient signaling effector circuit for the control of cell surface adhesin expression and its versatility by revealing strain-specific variations. IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae , the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, benefits from a sessile biofilm lifestyle that enhances survival outside the host but also contributes to host colonization and infectivity. The bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP has been identified as a central regulator of biofilm formation, including in V. cholerae ; however, our understanding of the pathways that contribute to this process is incomplete. Here, we define a conserved signaling system that controls the stability of large adhesion proteins at the cell surface of V. cholerae , which are important for cell attachment and biofilm formation. Insight into the regulatory circuit underlying biofilm formation may inform targeted strategies to interfere with a process that renders this bacterium remarkably adaptable to changing environments.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA.
