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Allosteric control of cyclic di-GMP signaling.

Cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate is a bacterial second messenger that has been implicated in biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and persistence of pathogenic bacteria in their animal host. Although the enzymes responsible for the regulation of cellular levels of c-di-GMP, diguanylate cyclases (DGC) and phosphodiesterases, have been identified recently, little information is available on the molecular mechanisms involved in controlling the activity of these key enzymes or on the specific interactions of c-di-GMP with effector proteins. By using a combination of genetic, biochemical, and modeling techniques we demonstrate that an allosteric binding site for c-di-GMP (I-site) is responsible for non-competitive product inhibition of DGCs. The I-site was mapped in both multi- and single domain DGC proteins and is fully contained within the GGDEF domain itself. In vivo selection experiments and kinetic analysis of the evolved I-site mutants led to the definition of an RXXD motif as the core c-di-GMP binding site. Based on these results and based on the observation that the I-site is conserved in a majority of known and potential DGC proteins, we propose that product inhibition of DGCs is of fundamental importance for c-di-GMP signaling and cellular homeostasis. The definition of the I-site binding pocket provides an entry point into unraveling the molecular mechanisms of ligand-protein interactions involved in c-di-GMP signaling and makes DGCs a valuable target for drug design to develop new strategies against biofilm-related diseases.

Allosteric Site↗

Cell-cell signaling in Xanthomonas campestris involves an HD-GYP domain protein that functions in cyclic di-GMP turnover.

HD-GYP is a protein domain of unknown biochemical function implicated in bacterial signaling and regulation. In the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, the synthesis of virulence factors and dispersal of biofilms are positively controlled by a two-component signal transduction system comprising the HD-GYP domain regulatory protein RpfG and cognate sensor RpfC and by cell-cell signaling mediated by the diffusible signal molecule DSF (diffusible signal factor). The RpfG/RpfC two-component system has been implicated in DSF perception and signal transduction. Here we show that the role of RpfG is to degrade the unusual nucleotide cyclic di-GMP, an activity associated with the HD-GYP domain. Mutation of the conserved H and D residues of the isolated HD-GYP domain resulted in loss of both the enzymatic activity against cyclic di-GMP and the regulatory activity in virulence factor synthesis. Two other protein domains, GGDEF and EAL, are already implicated in the synthesis and degradation respectively of cyclic di-GMP. As with GGDEF and EAL domains, the HD-GYP domain is widely distributed in free-living bacteria and occurs in plant and animal pathogens, as well as beneficial symbionts and organisms associated with a range of environmental niches. Identification of the role of the HD-GYP domain thus increases our understanding of a signaling network whose importance to the lifestyle of diverse bacteria is now emerging.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Three cdg operons control cellular turnover of cyclic di-GMP in Acetobacter xylinum: genetic organization and occurrence of conserved domains in isoenzymes.

Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is the specific nucleotide regulator of beta-1,4-glucan (cellulose) synthase in Acetobacter xylinum. The enzymes controlling turnover of c-di-GMP are diguanylate cyclase (DGC), which catalyzes its formation, and phosphodiesterase A (PDEA), which catalyzes its degradation. Following biochemical purification of DGC and PDEA, genes encoding isoforms of these enzymes have been isolated and found to be located on three distinct yet highly homologous operons for cyclic diguanylate, cdg1, cdg2, and cdg3. Within each cdg operon, a pdeA gene lies upstream of a dgc gene. cdg1 contains two additional flanking genes, cdg1a and cdg1d. cdg1a encodes a putative transcriptional activator, similar to AadR of Rhodopseudomonas palustris and FixK proteins of rhizobia. The deduced DGC and PDEA proteins have an identical motif structure of two lengthy domains in their C-terminal regions. These domains are also present in numerous bacterial proteins of undefined function. The N termini of the DGC and PDEA deduced proteins contain putative oxygen-sensing domains, based on similarity to domains on bacterial NifL and FixL proteins, respectively. Genetic disruption analyses demonstrated a physiological hierarchy among the cdg operons, such that cdg1 contributes 80% of cellular DGC and PDEA activities and cdg2 and cdg3 contribute 15 and 5%, respectively. Disruption of dgc genes markedly reduced in vivo cellulose production, demonstrating that c-di-GMP controls this process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cell-cell signaling, cyclic di-GMP turnover and regulation of virulence in Xanthomonas campestris.

The synthesis of virulence factors in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris is regulated by cell-cell signaling mediated by a diffusible signal factor (DSF), and by the RpfC/RpfG two-component regulatory system. Recent findings have indicated that the perception of the DSF signal requires the RpfC sensor and is linked to the degradation of the intracellular second messenger cyclic di-GMP by the HD-GYP domain regulator RpfG.

3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases↗

Control of formation and cellular detachment from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 biofilms by cyclic di-GMP.

Stability and resilience against environmental perturbations are critical properties of medical and environmental biofilms and pose important targets for their control. Biofilm stability is determined by two mutually exclusive processes: attachment of cells to and detachment from the biofilm matrix. Using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, an environmentally versatile, Fe(III) and Mn(IV) mineral-reducing microorganism, we identified mxdABCD as a new set of genes essential for formation of a three-dimensional biofilm. Molecular analysis revealed that mxdA encodes a cyclic bis(3',5')guanylic acid (cyclic di-GMP)-forming enzyme with an unusual GGDEF motif, i.e., NVDEF, which is essential for its function. mxdB encodes a putative membrane-associated glycosyl transferase. Both genes are essential for matrix attachment. The attachment-deficient phenotype of a DeltamxdA mutant was rescued by ectopic expression of VCA0956, encoding another diguanylate cyclase. Interestingly, a rapid cellular detachment from the biofilm occurred upon induction of yhjH, a gene encoding an enzyme that has been shown to have phosphodiesterase activity. In this way, it was possible to bypass the previously identified sudden depletion of molecular oxygen as an environmental trigger to induce biofilm dissolution. We propose a model for c-di-GMP as a key intracellular regulator for controlling biofilm stability by shifting the state of a biofilm cell between attachment and detachment in a concentration-dependent manner.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

GGDEF and EAL domains inversely regulate cyclic di-GMP levels and transition from sessility to motility.

Cyclic nucleotides represent second messenger molecules in all kingdoms of life. In bacteria, mass sequencing of genomes detected the highly abundant protein domains GGDEF and EAL. We show here that the GGDEF and EAL domains are involved in the turnover of cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) in vivo whereby the GGDEF domain stimulates c-di-GMP production and the EAL domain c-di-GMP degradation. Thus, most probably, GGDEF domains function as c-di-GMP cyclase and EAL domains as phosphdiesterase. We further show that, in the pathogenic organism Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the commensal species Escherichia coli, GGDEF and EAL domains mediate similar phenotypic changes related to the transition between sessility and motility. Thus, the data suggest that c-di-GMP is a novel global second messenger in bacteria the metabolism of which is controlled by GGDEF and EAL domain proteins.

Cyclic GMP↗

Cyclic di-GMP as a second messenger.

In many bacteria bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) signaling determines the timing and amplitude of complex biological processes from biofilm formation and virulence to photosynthesis. Thereby, the tightly regulated temporal and spatial activity patterns of GGDEF and EAL domain proteins, which synthesize and degrade c-di-GMP, respectively, are currently being resolved. Although details of the mechanisms of c-di-GMP signaling are not yet determined, the recent presentation of PilZ as a candidate c-di-GMP binding-domain opens the field for experimental investigations. Besides its role as an intracellular signaling molecule in bacteria, c-di-GMP also acts as an intercellular signaling molecule between prokaryotes and also has effects in eukaryotes that could provide a perspective in cancer treatment.

Animals↗

Transcriptome and phenotypic responses of Vibrio cholerae to increased cyclic di-GMP level.

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, is a facultative human pathogen with intestinal and aquatic life cycles. The capacity of V. cholerae to recognize and respond to fluctuating parameters in its environment is critical to its survival. In many microorganisms, the second messenger, 3',5'-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP), is believed to be important for integrating environmental stimuli that affect cell physiology. Sequence analysis of the V. cholerae genome has revealed an abundance of genes encoding proteins with either GGDEF domains, EAL domains, or both, which are predicted to modulate cellular c-di-GMP concentrations. To elucidate the cellular processes controlled by c-di-GMP, whole-genome transcriptome responses of the El Tor and classical V. cholerae biotypes to increased c-di-GMP concentrations were determined. The results suggest that V. cholerae responds to an elevated level of c-di-GMP by increasing the transcription of the vps, eps, and msh genes and decreasing that of flagellar genes. The functions of other c-di-GMP-regulated genes in V. cholerae are yet to be identified.

Biofilms↗

Cyclic di-GMP as a bacterial second messenger.

Environmental signals trigger changes in the bacterial cell surface, including changes in exopolysaccharides and proteinaceous appendages that ultimately favour bacterial persistence and proliferation. Such adaptations are regulated in diverse bacteria by proteins with GGDEF and EAL domains. These proteins are predicted to regulate cell surface adhesiveness by controlling the level of a second messenger, the cyclic dinucleotide c-di-GMP. Genetic evidence suggests that the GGDEF domain acts as a nucleotide cyclase for c-di-GMP synthesis while the EAL domain is a good candidate for the opposing activity, a phosphodiesterase for c-di-GMP degradation.

Animals↗

Diguanylate cyclases control magnesium-dependent motility of Vibrio fischeri.

Flagellar biogenesis and hence motility of Vibrio fischeri depends upon the presence of magnesium. In the absence of magnesium, cells contain few or no flagella and are poorly motile or nonmotile. To dissect the mechanism by which this regulation occurs, we screened transposon insertion mutants for those that could migrate through soft agar medium lacking added magnesium. We identified mutants with insertions in two distinct genes, VF0989 and VFA0959, which we termed mifA and mifB, respectively, for magnesium-dependent induction of flagellation. Each gene encodes a predicted membrane-associated protein with diguanylate cyclase activity. Consistent with that activity, introduction into V. fischeri of medium-copy plasmids carrying these genes inhibited motility. Furthermore, multicopy expression of mifA induced other phenotypes known to be correlated with diguanylate cyclase activity, including cellulose biosynthesis and biofilm formation. To directly test their function, we introduced the wild-type genes on high-copy plasmids into Escherichia coli. We assayed for the production of cyclic di-GMP using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography and found that strains carrying these plasmids produced a small but reproducible spot that migrated with an R(f) value consistent with cyclic di-GMP that was not produced by strains carrying the vector control. Disruptions of mifA or mifB increased flagellin levels, while multicopy expression decreased them. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR experiments revealed no significant difference in the amount of flagellin transcripts produced in either the presence or absence of Mg(2+) by either vector control or mifA-overexpressing cells, indicating that the impact of magnesium and cyclic-di-GMP primarily acts following transcription. Finally, we present a model for the roles of magnesium and cyclic di-GMP in the control of motility of V. fischeri.

Aliivibrio fischeri↗

Phenotypic convergence mediated by GGDEF-domain-containing proteins.

GGDEF domain-containing proteins have been implicated in bacterial signal transduction and synthesis of the second messenger molecule cyclic-di-GMP. A number of GGDEF proteins are involved in controlling the formation of extracellular matrices. AdrA (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium) and HmsT (Yersinia pestis) contain GGDEF domains and are required for extracellular cellulose production and biofilm formation, respectively. Here we show that hmsT is able to restore cellulose synthesis to a Salmonella serovar Typhimurium adrA mutant and that adrA can replace hmsT in Y. pestis Hms-dependent biofilm formation. Like Y. pestis HmsT overproducers, Y. pestis cells carrying adrA under the control of an arabinose-inducible promoter produced substantial biofilms in the presence of arabinose. Finally, we demonstrate that HmsT is involved in the synthesis of cyclic di-GMP.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Genetic data indicate that proteins containing the GGDEF domain possess diguanylate cyclase activity.

A conserved domain, called GGDEF (referring to a conserved central sequence pattern), is detected in many procaryotic proteins, often in various combinations with putative sensory-regulatory components. Most sequenced bacterial genomes contain several different GGDEF proteins. The function of this domain has so far not been experimentally shown. Through genetic complementation using genes from three different bacteria encoding proteins with GGDEF domains as the only element in common, we present genetic data indicating (a) that the GGDEF domain is responsible for the diguanylate cyclase activity of these proteins, and (b) that the activity of cellulose synthase in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii and Agrobacterium tumefaciens is regulated by cyclic di-GMP as in Acetobacter xylinum.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Identification of a novel regulatory protein (CsrD) that targets the global regulatory RNAs CsrB and CsrC for degradation by RNase E.

In Escherichia coli, the global regulatory protein CsrA (carbon store regulator A) binds to leader segments of target mRNAs, affecting their translation and stability. CsrA activity is regulated by two noncoding RNAs, CsrB and CsrC, which act by sequestering multiple CsrA dimers. Here, we describe a protein (CsrD) that controls the degradation of CsrB/C RNAs. The dramatic stabilization of CsrB/C RNAs in a csrD mutant altered the expression of CsrA-controlled genes in a manner predicted from the previously described Csr regulatory circuitry. A deficiency in RNase E, the primary endonuclease involved in mRNA decay, also stabilized CsrB/C, although the half-lives of other RNAs that are substrates for RNase E (rpsO, rpsT, and RyhB) were unaffected by csrD. Analysis of the decay of CsrB RNA, both in vitro and in vivo, suggested that CsrD is not a ribonuclease. Interestingly, the CsrD protein contains GGDEF and EAL domains, yet unlike typical proteins in this large superfamily, its activity in the regulation of CsrB/C decay does not involve cyclic di-GMP metabolism. The two predicted membrane-spanning regions are dispensable for CsrD activity, while HAMP-like, GGDEF, and EAL domains are required. Thus, these studies demonstrate a novel process for the selective targeting of RNA molecules for degradation by RNase E and a novel function for a GGDEF-EAL protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

FimX, a multidomain protein connecting environmental signals to twitching motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Twitching motility is a form of surface translocation mediated by the extension, tethering, and retraction of type IV pili. Three independent Tn5-B21 mutations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with reduced twitching motility were identified in a new locus which encodes a predicted protein of unknown function annotated PA4959 in the P. aeruginosa genome sequence. Complementation of these mutants with the wild-type PA4959 gene, which we designated fimX, restored normal twitching motility. fimX mutants were found to express normal levels of pilin and remained sensitive to pilus-specific bacteriophages, but they exhibited very low levels of surface pili, suggesting that normal pilus function was impaired. The fimX gene product has a molecular weight of 76,000 and contains four predicted domains that are commonly found in signal transduction proteins: a putative response regulator (CheY-like) domain, a PAS-PAC domain (commonly involved in environmental sensing), and DUF1 (or GGDEF) and DUF2 (or EAL) domains, which are thought to be involved in cyclic di-GMP metabolism. Red fluorescent protein fusion experiments showed that FimX is located at one pole of the cell via sequences adjacent to its CheY-like domain. Twitching motility in fimX mutants was found to respond relatively normally to a range of environmental factors but could not be stimulated by tryptone and mucin. These data suggest that fimX is involved in the regulation of twitching motility in response to environmental cues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Multilevel regulation of c-di-GMP biosynthesis by cAMP signaling increases Shigella sonnei fitness and pathogenicity in response to bile salts.

It was previously demonstrated that intestinal pathogens have evolved different mechanisms to enhance their infection and colonization in the intestines of hosts. However, it is unclear how Shigella effectively survives in the presence of bile salts. Here, we report that the biofilm formation and pathogenicity of S. sonnei are induced by primary bile salts through the two-component system EvgS/EvgA. The response regulator EvgA controls the transcription of the cyclic AMP synthase-encoding gene. Furthermore, the effector protein CRP of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal not only positively controls the transcription of ydeH, a gene encoding cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) synthase, but also forms a complex with YdeH to improve its catalytic production of c-di-GMP. Additionally, interacting with YdeH enhances the ability of CRP to bind to the promoter of ydeH. Our work provides insights into how S. sonnei utilizes cascade amplification of c-di-GMP to promote fitness and pathogenicity in response to primary bile salts.

Cyclic GMP↗

Structural basis of activity and allosteric control of diguanylate cyclase.

Recent discoveries suggest that a novel second messenger, bis-(3'-->5')-cyclic di-GMP (c-diGMP), is extensively used by bacteria to control multicellular behavior. Condensation of two GTP to the dinucleotide is catalyzed by the widely distributed diguanylate cyclase (DGC or GGDEF) domain that occurs in various combinations with sensory and/or regulatory modules. The crystal structure of the unorthodox response regulator PleD from Caulobacter crescentus, which consists of two CheY-like receiver domains and a DGC domain, has been solved in complex with the product c-diGMP. PleD forms a dimer with the CheY-like domains (the stem) mediating weak monomer-monomer interactions. The fold of the DGC domain is similar to adenylate cyclase, but the nucleotide-binding mode is substantially different. The guanine base is H-bonded to Asn-335 and Asp-344, whereas the ribosyl and alpha-phosphate moieties extend over the beta2-beta3-hairpin that carries the GGEEF signature motif. In the crystal, c-diGMP molecules are crosslinking active sites of adjacent dimers. It is inferred that, in solution, the two DGC domains of a dimer align in a two-fold symmetric way to catalyze c-diGMP synthesis. Two mutually intercalated c-diGMP molecules are found tightly bound at the stem-DGC interface. This allosteric site explains the observed noncompetitive product inhibition. We propose that product inhibition is due to domain immobilization and sets an upper limit for the concentration of this second messenger in the cell.

Allosteric Regulation↗

Role of the GGDEF protein family in Salmonella cellulose biosynthesis and biofilm formation.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is capable of producing cellulose as the main exopolysaccharide compound of the biofilm matrix. It has been shown for Gluconacetobacter xylinum that cellulose biosynthesis is allosterically regulated by bis-(3',5') cyclic diguanylic acid, whose synthesis/degradation depends on diguanylate cyclase/phosphodiesterase enzymatic activities. A protein domain, named GGDEF, is present in all diguanylate cyclase/phosphodiesterase enzymes that have been studied to date. In this study, we analysed the molecular mechanisms responsible for the failure of Salmonella typhimurium strain SL1344 to form biofilms under different environmental conditions. Using a complementation assay, we were able to identify two genes, which can restore the biofilm defect of SL1344 when expressed from the plasmid pBR328. Based on the observation that one of the genes, STM1987, contains a GGDEF domain, and the other, mlrA, indirectly controls the expression of another GGDEF protein, AdrA, we proceeded on a mutational analysis of the additional GG[DE]EF motif containing proteins of S. typhimurium. Our results demonstrated that MlrA, and thus AdrA, is required for cellulose production and biofilm formation in LB complex medium whereas STM1987 (GGDEF domain containing protein A, gcpA) is critical for biofilm formation in the nutrient-deficient medium, ATM. Insertional inactivation of the other six members of the GGDEF family (gcpB-G) showed that only deletion of yciR (gcpE) affected cellulose production and biofilm formation. However, when provided on plasmid pBR328, most of the members of the GGDEF family showed a strong dominant phenotype able to bypass the need for AdrA and GcpA respectively. Altogether, these results indicate that most GGDEF proteins of S. typhimurium are functionally related, probably by controlling the levels of the same final product (cyclic di-GMP), which include among its regulatory targets the cellulose production and biofilm formation of S. typhimurium.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Population density-dependent regulation of exopolysaccharide formation in the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima.

Co-cultivation of the hyperthermophiles Thermotoga maritima and Methanococcus jannaschii resulted in fivefold higher T. maritima cell densities when compared with monoculture as well as concomitant formation of exopolysaccharide and flocculation of heterotroph-methanogen cellular aggregates. Transcriptional analysis of T. maritima cells from these aggregates using a whole genome cDNA microarray revealed the induction of a putative exopolysaccharide synthesis pathway, regulated by intracellular levels of cyclic diguanosine 3',5'-(cyclic)phosphate (cyclic di-GMP) and mediated by the action of several GGDEF proteins, including a putative diguanylate cyclase (TM1163) and a putative phosphodiesterase (TM1184). Transcriptional analysis also showed that TM0504, which encodes a polypeptide containing a motif common to known peptide-signalling molecules in mesophilic bacteria, was strongly upregulated in the co-culture. Indeed, when a synthetically produced peptide based on TM0504 was dosed into the culture at ecologically relevant levels, the production of exopolysaccharide was induced at significantly lower cell densities than was observed in cultures lacking added peptide. In addition to identifying a pathway for polysaccharide formation in T. maritima, these results point to the existence of peptide-based quorum sensing in hyperthermophilic bacteria and indicate that cellular communication should be considered as a component of the microbial ecology within hydrothermal habitats.

Bacterial Proteins↗