RRC ID 79359
Author Kinch LN, Cong Q, Jaishankar J, Orth K.
Title Co-component signal transduction systems: Fast-evolving virulence regulation cassettes discovered in enteric bacteria.
Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Abstract Bacterial signal transduction systems sense changes in the environment and transmit these signals to control cellular responses. The simplest one-component signal transduction systems include an input sensor domain and an output response domain encoded in a single protein chain. Alternatively, two-component signal transduction systems transmit signals by phosphorelay between input and output domains from separate proteins. The membrane-tethered periplasmic bile acid sensor that activates the Vibrio parahaemolyticus type III secretion system adopts an obligate heterodimer of two proteins encoded by partially overlapping VtrA and VtrC genes. This co-component signal transduction system binds bile acid using a lipocalin-like domain in VtrC and transmits the signal through the membrane to a cytoplasmic DNA-binding transcription factor in VtrA. Using the domain and operon organization of VtrA/VtrC, we identify a fast-evolving superfamily of co-component systems in enteric bacteria. Accurate machine learning–based fold predictions for the candidate co-components support their homology in the twilight zone of rapidly evolving sequences and provide mechanistic hypotheses about previously unrecognized lipid-sensing functions.
Volume 119(24)
Pages e2203176119
Published 2022-6-14
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2203176119
PMID 35648808
PMC PMC9214523
MeSH Bacterial Proteins* / genetics Bacterial Proteins* / metabolism Bile Acids and Salts / metabolism DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial* Genomic Islands* Membrane Proteins* / genetics Membrane Proteins* / metabolism Protein Multimerization Signal Transduction Transcription Factors / metabolism Type III Secretion Systems* / genetics Vibrio parahaemolyticus* / genetics Vibrio parahaemolyticus* / pathogenicity Virulence / genetics
IF 9.412
Resource
Pathogenic bacteria V. parahaemolyticus