skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Two-Component Signal Transduction Pathways Regulating Growth and Cell Cycle Progression in a Bacterium: A System-Level Analysis

Journal Article · · PLoS Biology (Online)

Two-component signal transduction systems, comprised of histidine kinases and their response regulator substrates, are the predominant means by which bacteria sense and respond to extracellular signals. These systems allow cells to adapt to prevailing conditions by modifying cellular physiology, including initiating programs of gene expression, catalyzing reactions, or modifying protein–protein interactions. These signaling pathways have also been demonstrated to play a role in coordinating bacterial cell cycle progression and development. Here we report a system-level investigation of two-component pathways in the model organism Caulobacter crescentus. First, by a comprehensive deletion analysis we show that at least 39 of the 106 two-component genes are required for cell cycle progression, growth, or morphogenesis. These include nine genes essential for growth or viability of the organism. We then use a systematic biochemical approach, called phosphotransfer profiling, to map the connectivity of histidine kinases and response regulators. Combining these genetic and biochemical approaches, we identify a new, highly conserved essential signaling pathway from the histidine kinase CenK to the response regulator CenR, which plays a critical role in controlling cell envelope biogenesis and structure. Depletion of either cenK or cenR leads to an unusual, severe blebbing of cell envelope material, whereas constitutive activation of the pathway compromises cell envelope integrity, resulting in cell lysis and death. We propose that the CenK–CenR pathway may be a suitable target for new antibiotic development, given previous successes in targeting the bacterial cell wall. Finally, the ability of our in vitro phosphotransfer profiling method to identify signaling pathways that operate in vivo takes advantage of an observation that histidine kinases are endowed with a global kinetic preference for their cognate response regulators. We propose that this system-wide selectivity insulates two-component pathways from one another, preventing unwanted cross-talk.

Research Organization:
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG03-01ER63219; FG02-04ER63922
OSTI ID:
1627143
Journal Information:
PLoS Biology (Online), Vol. 3, Issue 10; ISSN 1545-7885
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (62)

Robustness and the cycle of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in a two-component regulatory system journal January 2003
Cell-cycle progression and the generation of asymmetry in Caulobacter crescentus journal April 2004
Two-component and phosphorelay signal-transduction systems as therapeutic targets journal October 2002
Novel domains of the prokaryotic two-component signal transduction systems journal September 2001
Interaction of EnvZ, a sensory histidine kinase, with phosphorylated OmpR, the cognate response regulator: Interaction between phosphorylated OmpR and EnvZ journal December 2002
Cell cycle-dependent dynamic localization of a bacterial response regulator with a novel di-guanylate cyclase output domain journal March 2004
MreB, the cell shape-determining bacterial actin homologue, co-ordinates cell wall morphogenesis in Caulobacter crescentus: MreB-dependent regulation of cell shape journal February 2004
Functional Characterization in Vitro of All Two-component Signal Transduction Systems from Escherichia coli journal November 2004
The Comprehensive Microbial Resource journal January 2001
An essential, multicomponent signal transduction pathway required for cell cycle regulation in Caulobacter journal February 1998
Targeting protein homodimerization: A novel drug discovery system journal March 2005
Quantitative phenotypic analysis of yeast deletion mutants using a highly parallel molecular bar–coding strategy journal December 1996
petR, located upstream of the fbcFBC operon encoding the cytochrome bc 1 complex, is homologous to bacterial response regulators and necessary for photosynthetic and respiratory growth of Rhodobacter capsulatus journal June 1992
Defective cell wall synthesis in Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 depleted for the essential PcsB putative murein hydrolase or the VicR (YycF) response regulator: Defective cell wall synthesis in pcsB mutants journal July 2004
The Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 journal September 1997
Isolation and Characterization of Inhibitors of the Essential Histidine Kinase, YycG in Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus journal January 2003
Envelope-associated nucleoid from Caulobacter crescentus stalked and swarmer cells. journal January 1977
Phosphorylation of three proteins in the signaling pathway of bacterial chemotaxis journal April 1988
Role in Cell Permeability of an Essential Two-Component System in Staphylococcus aureus journal June 1999
Transduction of envelope stress in Escherichia coli by the Cpx two-component system. journal December 1997
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION: Signaling Specificity in Yeast journal February 2005
Functional profiling of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome journal July 2002
The Biochemical Basis of an All-or-None Cell Fate Switch in Xenopus Oocytes journal May 1998
Complete genome sequence of Caulobacter crescentus journal March 2001
Precise amounts of a novel member of a phosphotransferase superfamily are essential for growth and normal morphology in Caulobacter crescentus journal February 2001
Cyclin specificity in the phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase substrates journal March 2005
Signal Transduction and Cell Cycle Checkpoints in Developmental Regulation ofCaulobacter book April 2014
Differential Localization of Two Histidine Kinases Controlling Bacterial Cell Differentiation journal November 1999
A novel bacterial tyrosine kinase essential for cell division and differentiation journal November 1999
Glutamate at the Site of Phosphorylation of Nitrogen-regulatory Protein NTRC Mimics Aspartyl-Phosphate and Activates the Protein journal July 1993
Two-Component Signal Transduction journal June 2000
Synergistic Kinetic Interactions between Components of the Phosphorelay Controlling Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis journal February 1998
An essential single domain response regulator required for normal cell division and differentiation in Caulobacter crescentus. journal August 1995
The Critical Role of the Conserved Thr 247 Residue in the Functioning of the Osmosensor EnvZ, a Histidine Kinase/Phosphatase, in Escherichia coli journal September 2000
Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of a bacterial transcriptional activator by a transmembrane receptor. journal November 1989
Kinetic Comparison of the Specificity of the Vancomycin Resistance Kinase VanS for Two Response Regulators, VanR and PhoB journal January 1996
Optimization of specificity in a cellular protein interaction network by negative selection journal December 2003
Making informed decisions: regulatory interactions between two-component systems journal August 2003
Temporal and Spatial Regulation in Prokaryotic Cell Cycle Progression and Development journal June 2003
Caulobacter crescentus Requires RodA and MreB for Stalk Synthesis and Prevention of Ectopic Pole Formation journal January 2005
A Bacterial Cell-Cycle Regulatory Network Operating in Time and Space journal September 2003
Cell Cycle–Dependent Polar Localization of an Essential Bacterial Histidine Kinase that Controls DNA Replication and Cell Division journal April 1999
Principles of MAP Kinase Signaling Specificity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae journal December 2004
The HWE Histidine Kinases, a New Family of Bacterial Two-Component Sensor Kinases with Potentially Diverse Roles in Environmental Signaling journal January 2004
Global Analysis of the Genetic Network Controlling a Bacterial Cell Cycle journal December 2000
A bacterial environmental sensor that functions as a protein kinase and stimulates transcriptional activation. journal May 1989
Role of the GGDEF regulator PleD in polar development of Caulobacter crescentus: PleD control of polar development journal March 2003
Turning off flagellum rotation requires the pleiotropic gene pleD: pleA, pleC, and pleD define two morphogenic pathways in Caulobacter crescentus journal January 1989
One-step inactivation of chromosomal genes in Escherichia coli K-12 using PCR products journal May 2000
A search for amino acid substitutions that universally activate response regulators: Activating substitutions in response regulators journal December 2003
Isolation and characterization of a xylose-dependent promoter from Caulobacter crescentus journal February 1997
Reconstitution of the bacterial chemotaxis signal transduction system from purified components journal May 1991
Pseudoreversion analysis indicates a direct role of cell division genes in polar morphogenesis and differentiation in Caulobacter crescentus. journal November 1991
PCR-synthesis of marker cassettes with long flanking homology regions for gene disruptions in S. cerevisiae journal March 1996
Characterization of a novel Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 two-component regulatory system, NtrY/NtrX, involved in nitrogen fixation and metabolism journal December 1991
Initiation of sporulation in B. subtilis is controlled by a multicomponent phosphorelay journal February 1991
An improved system for gene replacement and xylE fusion analysis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa journal January 1995
The Era of Pathway Quantification journal May 1998
Two-Component Signal Transduction as a Target for Microbial Anti-Infective Therapy journal July 1998
Rate of major protein synthesis during the cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus journal August 1978
A Two-Component Signal Transduction System Essential for Growth of Bacillus subtilis: Implications for Anti-Infective Therapy journal December 1998
Digging with Experimental Pick and Computational Shovel: a New Addition to the Histidine Kinase Superfamily journal January 2004

Cited By (115)

Flexibility and constraint: Evolutionary remodeling of the sporulation initiation pathway in Firmicutes text January 2018
Hit the right spots: cell cycle control by phosphorylated guanosines in alphaproteobacteria journal January 2017
Design of protein-interaction specificity gives selective bZIP-binding peptides journal April 2009
Reconstruction of biochemical networks in microorganisms journal December 2008
Two Proteins Form a Heteromeric Bacterial Self-Recognition Complex in Which Variable Subdomains Determine Allele-Restricted Binding journal July 2015
The two-component signalling networks of Mycobacterium tuberculosis display extensive cross-talk in vitro journal June 2015
A matter of life and death: cell wall homeostasis and the WalKR (YycGF) essential signal transduction pathway journal December 2008
A gated relaxation oscillator mediated by FrzX controls morphogenetic movements in Myxococcus xanthus journal July 2018
Crosstalk and the evolvability of intracellular communication journal July 2017
Direct and adaptor-mediated substrate recognition by an essential AAA+ protease journal April 2007
Regulation of signaling directionality revealed by 3D snapshots of a kinase:regulator complex in action journal December 2016
Pneumococcal Metabolic Adaptation and Colonization Are Regulated by the Two-Component Regulatory System 08 journal May 2018
FrzZ, a dual CheY-like response regulator, functions as an output for the Frz chemosensory pathway of Myxococcus xanthus journal July 2007
First genomic insights into members of a candidate bacterial phylum responsible for wastewater bulking journal January 2015
Draft genome sequence and annotation of Lactobacillus acetotolerans BM-LA14527, a beer-spoilage bacteria journal August 2016
Evidence of Cross-Regulation in Two Closely Related Pyruvate-Sensing Systems in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli journal January 2018
Regulation of the bacterial cell cycle by an integrated genetic circuit journal November 2006
The Two Chemotaxis Clusters in Caulobacter crescentus Play Different Roles in Chemotaxis and Biofilm Regulation journal May 2019
A phosphorelay system controls stalk biogenesis during cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus : Regulation of stalk biogenesis in journal November 2005
Regulated proteolysis of a transcription factor complex is critical to cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus: Cell cycle regulated proteolysis in Caulobacter journal February 2013
Isolation and characterisation of the epothilone gene cluster with flanks from high alkalotolerant strain Sorangium cellulosum (So0157-2) journal June 2017
Complex two-component signaling regulates the general stress response in Alphaproteobacteria journal November 2014
The orphan histidine protein kinase SgmT is a c‐di‐GMP receptor and regulates composition of the extracellular matrix together with the orphan DNA binding response regulator DigR in Myxococcus xanthus journal March 2012
Pervasive degeneracy and epistasis in a protein-protein interface journal February 2015
A Link between Dimerization and Autophosphorylation of the Response Regulator PhoB journal July 2013
Pneumococcal metabolic adaptation and colonization is regulated by the two-component regulatory system 08 posted_content April 2018
Intrinsic limits of information transmission in biochemical signalling motifs journal October 2018
Dissecting the Specificity of Protein-Protein Interaction in Bacterial Two-Component Signaling: Orphans and Crosstalks journal May 2011
The Two-Component Signal Transduction System ArlRS Regulates Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilm Formation in an ica-Dependent Manner journal July 2012
Regulation of bacterial surface attachment by a network of sensory transduction proteins journal February 2019
A two-component system, an anti-sigma factor and two paralogous ECF sigma factors are involved in the control of general stress response in Caulobacter crescentus: C. crescentus general stress response journal May 2011
The viable but nonculturable state induction and genomic analyses of Lactobacillus casei BM-LC14617, a beer-spoilage bacterium journal July 2017
Gene networks that compensate for crosstalk with crosstalk journal September 2019
Connecting the Sequence-Space of Bacterial Signaling Proteins to Phenotypes Using Coevolutionary Landscapes journal September 2016
Rapid pairing and resegregation of distant homologous loci enables double-strand break repair in bacteria journal August 2015
A Close-up View of the VraSR Two-component System: A MEDIATOR OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS RESPONSE TO CELL WALL DAMAGE journal March 2008
Two-Component System Cross-Regulation Integrates Bacillus anthracis Response to Heme and Cell Envelope Stress journal March 2014
The asymmetric distribution of the essential histidine kinase PdhS indicates a differentiation event in Brucella abortus journal February 2007
The DivJ, CbrA and PleC system controls DivK phosphorylation and symbiosis in Sinorhizobium meliloti: The cell cycle kinase DivJ in Sinorhizobium meliloti journal August 2013
Accurate prediction of protein–protein interactions from sequence alignments using a Bayesian method journal January 2008
Regulation of carbohydrate degradation pathways in Pseudomonas involves a versatile set of transcriptional regulators journal April 2018
Precise transcription timing by a second-messenger drives a bacterial G1/S cell cycle transition posted_content January 2019
Transcriptional regulatory module analysis reveals that bridge proteins reconcile multiple signals in extracellular electron transfer pathways journal August 2019
Analysis of the Activity and Regulon of the Two-Component Regulatory System Composed by Cjj81176_1484 and Cjj81176_1483 of Campylobacter jejuni journal February 2015
Sensory deprivation in Staphylococcus aureus journal February 2018
Engineering robust control of two-component system phosphotransfer using modular scaffolds journal October 2012
Multi-environment QTL mapping reveals genetic architecture of fruit cracking in a tomato RIL Solanum lycopersicum × S. pimpinellifolium population journal October 2016
Involvement of AtoSC two-component system in Escherichia coli flagellar regulon journal November 2011
Fast and Accurate Multivariate Gaussian Modeling of Protein Families: Predicting Residue Contacts and Protein-Interaction Partners journal March 2014
Cross-talk and specificity in two-component signal transduction pathways journal May 2016
Gene Expression Profiling in Viable but Nonculturable (VBNC) Cells of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae journal December 2015
Contribution of the Cpx envelope stress system to metabolism and virulence regulation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium journal February 2019
Multiple communication mechanisms between sensor kinases are crucial for virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa journal June 2018
Performance Characteristics for Sensors and Circuits Used to Program E. coli book January 2009
Engineering transcription factors with novel DNA-binding specificity using comparative genomics journal March 2009
RavA/RavR two-component system regulates Xanthomonas campestris pathogenesis and c-di-GMP turnover journal August 2014
Cross-talk suppression between the CpxA-CpxR and EnvZ-OmpR two-component systems in E. coli journal October 2008
Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis of Proteins of Two-Component Systems in Myxococcus xanthus journal January 2008
Comparative Genome Characterization of a Petroleum-Degrading Bacillus subtilis Strain DM2 journal May 2019
Flexibility and constraint: Evolutionary remodeling of the sporulation initiation pathway in Firmicutes journal September 2018
Cyclic-di-GMP binds to histidine kinase RavS to control RavS-RavR phosphotransfer and regulates the bacterial lifestyle transition between virulence and swimming journal August 2019
Cyclic di-GMP acts as a cell cycle oscillator to drive chromosome replication text January 2015
Cyclic di-GMP acts as a cell cycle oscillator to drive chromosome replication journal May 2015
Rules for biological regulation based on error minimization journal March 2006
Structural asymmetry in a conserved signaling system that regulates division, replication, and virulence of an intracellular pathogen journal June 2015
Genome-wide prediction of prokaryotic two-component system networks using a sequence-based meta-predictor journal September 2015
Diversity of two-component systems: insights into the signal transduction mechanism by the Staphylococcus aureus two-component system GraSR journal January 2014
Regulation of bacterial surface attachment by a network of sensory transduction proteins journal May 2019
Acidic pH triggers the phosphorylation of the response regulator NtrX in alphaproteobacteria journal April 2018
A Link between Dimerization and Autophosphorylation of the Response Regulator PhoB
  • E., Silversmith, Ruth; L., Creager-Allen, Rachel; B., Bourret, Robert
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries https://doi.org/10.17615/8cp1-r786
text January 2013
Emergence and Modular Evolution of a Novel Motility Machinery in Bacteria text January 2011
Cyclic di-GMP differentially tunes a bacterial flagellar motor through a novel class of CheY-like regulators text January 2017
Emergence and Modular Evolution of a Novel Motility Machinery in Bacteria journal September 2011
Designing bacterial signaling interactions with coevolutionary landscapes journal August 2018
Post-transcriptional gene regulation by an Hfq-independent small RNA in Caulobacter crescentus journal August 2018
Diversity of two-component systems: insights into the signal transduction mechanism by the Staphylococcus aureus two-component system GraSR journal January 2014
The orphan histidine protein kinase SgmT is a c-di-GMP receptor and regulates composition of the extracellular matrix together with the orphan DNA binding response regulator DigR in Myxococcus xanthus text January 2012
Rules for biological regulation based on error minimization text January 2010
Adaptive Mutations that Prevent Crosstalk Enable the Expansion of Paralogous Signaling Protein Families journal July 2012
An Adaptor Hierarchy Regulates Proteolysis during a Bacterial Cell Cycle journal October 2015
Molecular Mechanisms of Two-Component Signal Transduction journal September 2016
Structural Basis of a Rationally Rewired Protein-Protein Interface Critical to Bacterial Signaling journal September 2013
Design and Implementation of a Biomolecular Concentration Tracker journal April 2014
Cyclic GMP stimulates lymphocyte nucleic acid synthesis journal September 1974
Evolving a robust signal transduction pathway from weak cross‐talk journal January 2010
Deconstructing a multiple antibiotic resistance regulation through the quantification of its input function journal October 2017
Mapping the ‘Two-component system’ network in rice journal August 2017
Two overlapping two-component systems in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae contribute to full fitness in rice by regulating virulence factors expression journal March 2016
Tiny cells meet big questions: a closer look at bacterial cell biology journal April 2013
Extended N-terminal region of the essential phosphorelay signaling protein Ypd1 fromCryptococcus neoformanscontributes to structural stability, phosphostability and binding of calcium ions journal August 2016
Novel regulatory cascades controlling expression of nitrogen-fixation genes in Geobacter sulfurreducens journal July 2010
Reciprocal control of motility and biofilm formation by the PdhS2 two-component sensor kinase of Agrobacterium tumefaciens journal February 2019
Guiding the design of bacterial signaling interactions using a coevolutionary landscape journal June 2017
Inferring interaction partners from protein sequences using mutual information posted_content January 2018
CrdS and CrdA Comprise a Two-Component System That Is Cooperatively Regulated by the Che3 Chemosensory System in Myxococcus xanthus journal August 2011
Biological Insights from Structures of Two-Component Proteins journal October 2009
Growth Phase-Dependent Proteomes of the Malaysian IsolatedLactococcus lactisDairy Strain M4 Using Label-Free Qualitative Shotgun Proteomics Analysis journal January 2014
Emergence and maintenance of functional modules in signaling pathways journal January 2007
Systems level analysis of two-component signal transduction systems in Erwinia amylovora: Role in virulence, regulation of amylovoran biosynthesis and swarming motility journal January 2009
The genetic organisation of prokaryotic two-component system signalling pathways journal December 2010
Impact of the Staphylococcus epidermidis LytSR two-component regulatory system on murein hydrolase activity, pyruvate utilization and global transcriptional profile journal November 2010
Systematic mapping of two component response regulators to gene targets in a model sulfate reducing bacterium journal January 2011
Engineered microbial biosensors based on bacterial two-component systems as synthetic biotechnology platforms in bioremediation and biorefinery journal April 2017
Keeping Signals Straight: How Cells Process Information and Make Decisions journal July 2016
The Evolution of Two-Component Systems in Bacteria Reveals Different Strategies for Niche Adaptation journal January 2006
Enzyme Sequestration as a Tuning Point in Controlling Response Dynamics of Signalling Networks journal May 2016
Analysis of the Legionella longbeachae Genome and Transcriptome Uncovers Unique Strategies to Cause Legionnaires' Disease journal February 2010
DNA Binding of the Cell Cycle Transcriptional Regulator GcrA Depends on N6-Adenosine Methylation in Caulobacter crescentus and Other Alphaproteobacteria journal May 2013
Identification, Functional Characterization and Regulon Prediction of a Novel Two Component System Comprising BAS0540-BAS0541 of Bacillus anthracis journal July 2016
Comparative Analysis ofWolbachiaGenomes Reveals Streamlining and Divergence of Minimalist Two-Component Systems journal May 2015
Computational Exploration of Putative LuxR Solos in Archaea and Their Functional Implications in Quorum Sensing journal May 2017
Identification of Modules With Similar Gene Regulation and Metabolic Functions Based on Co-expression Data journal December 2019
Inference of biomolecular interactions from sequence data text January 2010
NosP Signaling Modulates the NO/H-NOX-Mediated Multicomponent c-Di-GMP Network and Biofilm Formation in Shewanella oneidensis text January 2019
Disruption of the BMEI0066 gene attenuates the virulence of Brucella melitensis and decreases its stress tolerance journal January 2009