RRC ID 79392
Author Getz LJ, Brown JM, Sobot L, Chow A, Mahendrarajah J, Thomas NA.
Title Attenuation of a DNA cruciform by a conserved regulator directs T3SS1 mediated virulence in Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
Journal Nucleic Acids Res
Abstract Pathogenic Vibrio species account for 3-5 million annual life-threatening human infections. Virulence is driven by bacterial hemolysin and toxin gene expression often positively regulated by the winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) HlyU transcriptional regulator family and silenced by histone-like nucleoid structural protein (H-NS). In the case of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, HlyU is required for virulence gene expression associated with type 3 Secretion System-1 (T3SS1) although its mechanism of action is not understood. Here, we provide evidence for DNA cruciform attenuation mediated by HlyU binding to support concomitant virulence gene expression. Genetic and biochemical experiments revealed that upon HlyU mediated DNA cruciform attenuation, an intergenic cryptic promoter became accessible allowing for exsA mRNA expression and initiation of an ExsA autoactivation feedback loop at a separate ExsA-dependent promoter. Using a heterologous E. coli expression system, we reconstituted the dual promoter elements which revealed that HlyU binding and DNA cruciform attenuation were strictly required to initiate the ExsA autoactivation loop. The data indicate that HlyU acts to attenuate a transcriptional repressive DNA cruciform to support T3SS1 virulence gene expression and reveals a non-canonical extricating gene regulation mechanism in pathogenic Vibrio species.
Volume 51(12)
Pages 6156-6171
Published 2023-7-7
DOI 10.1093/nar/gkad370
PII 7157527
PMID 37158250
PMC PMC10325908
MeSH Bacterial Proteins / metabolism DNA, Cruciform / metabolism Escherichia coli / genetics Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial Humans Type III Secretion Systems / genetics Vibrio parahaemolyticus* / genetics Vibrio parahaemolyticus* / metabolism Virulence / genetics
IF 11.502
Resource
Pathogenic bacteria JNBP_30766