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Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems That Regulate the Temporal and Spatial Expression of Myxococcus xanthus Sporulation Genes

Zaara Sarwar, Anthony G. Garza
W. Margolin, Editor
Zaara Sarwar
aDepartment of Chemistry, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA
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Anthony G. Garza
bDepartment of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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W. Margolin
Roles: Editor
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DOI: 10.1128/JB.00474-15
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    FIG 1

    The Myxococcus xanthus life cycle. M. xanthus is a microbial predator that obtains nutrients by forming swarming biofilms and collectively feeding on other bacteria. When prey bacteria are not available to provide nutrients, cells undergo a multicellular developmental cycle that culminates with the formation of spore-filled fruiting bodies. The stages of development include preaggregation (1 to 5 h poststarvation), aggregation and mound formation (6 to 18 h poststarvation), and sporulation (24 to 120 h poststarvation). Sporulation occurs inside the dome-shaped mounds and is the process by which rod-shaped cells are converted into spherical, stress-resistant spores. The availability of nutrients, which presumably are provided by prey bacteria, triggers spore germination and, eventually, the formation of swarms that engage in group feeding.

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    Diagram of the Nla6S/Nla6 and Nla28S/Nla28 two-component systems. Nla6S/Nla6 and Nla28S/Nla28 are early-acting two-component systems that directly regulate expression of sporulation genes. Nla6S and Nla28S are predicted to be cytoplasmic and membrane-bound histidine kinase sensors, respectively (28). The signal detected by Nla6S is unknown; however, it has been proposed that the cell density reporter known as A-signal or nutrient levels (starvation) may be the activating signal for Nla28S (67). It is believed that Nla6S modulates the activity of the Nla6 response regulator via dephosphorylation, whereas Nla28S modulates the activity of the Nla28 response regulator via phosphorylation (38, 67). Nla6 is a transcriptional activator that regulates genetic loci such as exo, MXAN2688, and MXAN3259 that are important for spore differentiation and spore stress resistance (59). Nla28 is a transcriptional activator that regulates genetic loci such as cusBA and MXAN7147, which are primarily involved in spore stress resistance (Li et al., unpublished). Nla6 and Nla28 also modulate expression of other transcriptional regulators that are important for sporulation: Nla6 modulates expression of actB and nla28, and Nla28 modulates expression of actB, mrpAB, and nla6 (43) (Li et al., unpublished). In addition, Nla6 and Nla28 are involved in autoregulation (43).

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    Expression of an actB::lacZ fusion in fruiting body cells and peripheral rods. Cells were harvested at 24 h of development, and the fruiting body cells and peripheral rods were separated by differential centrifugation as previously described (98). Mean β-galactosidase-specific activities from three independent replicates are shown (Garza, unpublished). Error bars are standard deviations of the means.

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    FIG 4

    Diagram of the Esp two-component pathway. Esp is a complex two-component pathway that regulates the timing of sporulation (92, 93, 95). This two-component pathway consists of the following proteins: the cytoplasmic EspA and membrane-bound EspC hybrid histidine kinases, which contain a histidine kinase transmitter domain and a response regulator receiver domain, the serine/threonine protein kinases called PktA5 and PktB8, and the putative EspB oligopeptide transport membrane protein. Several lines of evidence indicate that EspA and EspC form a signaling unit; EspA performs autophosphorylation via its transmitter domain and then transfers a phosphoryl group to its receiver domain and the receiver domain of EspC (94). It has been proposed that EspB, PktA5, and PktB8 work together to modulate the activity of EspA (92, 95). It is believed that the EspAC signaling unit directly or indirectly inhibits the accumulation of MrpC, which is a positive regulator of sporulation, until the proper time in fruiting body development (97). SD, sensor domain; DHp, dimerization and histidine phosphorylation domain; CA, catalytic and ATP binding domain; REC, receiver domain.

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Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems That Regulate the Temporal and Spatial Expression of Myxococcus xanthus Sporulation Genes
Zaara Sarwar, Anthony G. Garza
Journal of Bacteriology Jan 2016, 198 (3) 377-385; DOI: 10.1128/JB.00474-15

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Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems That Regulate the Temporal and Spatial Expression of Myxococcus xanthus Sporulation Genes
Zaara Sarwar, Anthony G. Garza
Journal of Bacteriology Jan 2016, 198 (3) 377-385; DOI: 10.1128/JB.00474-15
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  • Top
  • Article
    • ABSTRACT
    • INTRODUCTION
    • REGULATORS OF SPORULATION
    • TWO-COMPONENT SYSTEM PROTEINS THAT REGULATE M. XANTHUS SPORULATION
    • LATE REGULATORS OF SPORULATION
    • REGULATORS OF THE TIMING OF SPORULATION
    • SUMMARY AND FUTURE WORK
    • ACKNOWLEDGMENT
    • FOOTNOTES
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
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