Role of EAL-containing proteins in multicellular behavior of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Cyclic diguanylate signaling proteins control intracellular growth of Legionella pneumophila

Proteins that metabolize or bind the nucleotide second messenger cyclic diguanylate regulate a wide variety of important processes in bacteria. These processes include motility, biofilm formation, cell division, differentiation, and virulence. The role of cyclic diguanylate signaling in the lifestyle of Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, has not previously been examined. The L. pneumophila genome encodes 22 predicted proteins containing domains related to cyclic diguanylate synthesis, hydrolysis, and recognition. We refer to these genes as cdgS (cyclic diguanylate signaling) genes. Strains of L. pneumophila containing deletions of all individual cdgS genes were created and did not exhibit any observable growth defect in growth medium or inside host cells. However, when overexpressed, several cdgS genes strongly decreased the ability of L. pneumophila to grow inside host cells. Expression of these cdgS genes did not affect the Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system, the major determinant of intracellular growth in L. pneumophila. L. pneumophila strains overexpressing these cdgS genes were less cytotoxic to THP-1 macrophages than wild-type L. pneumophila but retained the ability to resist grazing by amoebae. In many cases, the intracellular-growth inhibition caused by cdgS gene overexpression was independent of diguanylate cyclase or phosphodiesterase activities. Expression of the cdgS genes in a Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis strain that lacks all diguanylate cyclase activity indicated that several cdgS genes encode potential cyclases. These results indicate that components of the cyclic diguanylate signaling pathway play an important role in regulating the ability of L. pneumophila to grow in host cells.

Opposing contributions of polynucleotide phosphorylase and the membrane protein NlpI to biofilm formation by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

CsgD and cyclic-3',5'-di-guanylate are key regulators of biofilm formation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Our results show that polynucleotide phosphorylase and NlpI oppositely altered expression of CsgD. Polynucleotide phosphorylase and NlpI also had opposite effects on the expression of yjcC, which codes for a cyclic-3',5'-di-guanylate phosphodiesterase affecting CsgD expression.

Cyclic di-GMP signaling regulates invasion by Ehrlichia chaffeensis of human monocytes

Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a bacterial second messenger produced by GGDEF domain-containing proteins. The genome of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligatory intracellular bacterium that causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, encodes a single protein that contains a GGDEF domain, called PleD. In this study, we investigated the effects of c-di-GMP signaling on E. chaffeensis infection of the human monocytic cell line THP-1. Recombinant E. chaffeensis PleD showed diguanylate cyclase activity as it generated c-di-GMP in vitro. Because c-di-GMP is not cell permeable, the c-di-GMP hydrophobic analog 2'-O-di(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-c-di-GMP (CDGA) was used to examine intracellular c-di-GMP signaling. CDGA activity was first tested with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. CDGA inhibited well-defined c-di-GMP-regulated phenomena, including cellulose synthesis, clumping, and upregulation of csgD and adrA mRNA, indicating that CDGA acts as an antagonist in c-di-GMP signaling. [(32)P]c-di-GMP bound several E. chaffeensis native proteins and two E. chaffeensis recombinant I-site proteins, and this binding was blocked by CDGA. Although pretreatment of E. chaffeensis with CDGA did not reduce bacterial binding to THP-1 cells, bacterial internalization was reduced. CDGA facilitated protease-dependent degradation of particular, but not all, bacterial surface-exposed proteins, including TRP120, which is associated with bacterial internalization. Indeed, the serine protease HtrA was detected on the surface of E. chaffeensis, and TRP120 was degraded by treatment of E. chaffeensis with recombinant E. chaffeensis HtrA. Furthermore, anti-HtrA inhibited CDGA-induced TRP120 degradation. Our results suggest that E. chaffeensis invasion is regulated by c-di-GMP signaling, which stabilizes some bacterial surface-exposed proteins against proteases.

Unphosphorylated CsgD controls biofilm formation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

The transcriptional regulator CsgD of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a major regulator of biofilm formation required for the expression of csgBA, which encodes curli fimbriae, and adrA, coding for a diguanylate cyclase. CsgD is a response regulator with an N-terminal receiver domain with a conserved aspartate (D59) as a putative target site for phosphorylation and a C-terminal LuxR-like helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif, but the mechanisms of target gene activation remained unclear. To study the DNA-binding properties of CsgD we used electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprint analysis to show that unphosphorylated CsgD-His(6) binds specifically to the csgBA and adrA promoter regions. In vitro transcription analysis revealed that CsgD-His(6) is crucial for the expression of csgBA and adrA. CsgD-His(6) is phosphorylated by acetyl phosphate in vitro, which decreases its DNA-binding properties. The functional impact of D59 in vivo was demonstrated as S. Typhimurium strains expressing modified CsgD protein (D59E and D59N) were dramatically reduced in biofilm formation due to decreased protein stability and DNA-binding properties in the case of D59E. In summary, our findings suggest that the response regulator CsgD functions in its unphosphorylated form under the conditions of biofilm formation investigated in this study.

Role of MrkJ, a phosphodiesterase, in type 3 fimbrial expression and biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that has been shown to adhere to human extracellular matrices using the type 3 fimbriae. Introduction of plasmids carrying genes known to alter intracellular cyclic-di-GMP pools in Vibrio parahaemolyticus revealed that these genes also altered type 3 fimbrial surface expression in K. pneumoniae. Immediately adjacent to the type 3 fimbrial gene cluster is a gene, mrkJ, that is related to a family of bacterial genes encoding phosphodiesterases. We identify here a role for MrkJ, a functional phosphodiesterase exhibiting homology to EAL domain-containing proteins, in controlling type 3 fimbria production and biofilm formation in K. pneumoniae. Deletion of mrkJ resulted in an increase in type 3 fimbria production and biofilm formation as a result of the accumulation of intracellular cyclic-di-GMP. This gene was shown to encode a functional phosphodiesterase via restoration of motility in a V. parahaemolyticus strain previously shown to accumulate cyclic-di-GMP and in vitro using phosphodiesterase activity assays. The effect of the mrkJ mutation on type 3 fimbrial expression was shown to be at the level of mrkA gene transcription by using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. These results reveal a previously unknown role for cyclic-di-GMP in type 3 fimbrial production.

The c-di-GMP binding protein YcgR controls flagellar motor direction and speed to affect chemotaxis by a "backstop brake" mechanism

We describe a mechanism of flagellar motor control by the bacterial signaling molecule c-di-GMP, which regulates several cellular behaviors. E. coli and Salmonella have multiple c-di-GMP cyclases and phosphodiesterases, yet absence of a specific phosphodiesterase YhjH impairs motility in both bacteria. yhjH mutants have elevated c-di-GMP levels and require YcgR, a c-di-GMP-binding protein, for motility inhibition. We demonstrate that YcgR interacts with the flagellar switch-complex proteins FliG and FliM, most strongly in the presence of c-di-GMP. This interaction reduces the efficiency of torque generation and induces CCW motor bias. We present a "backstop brake" model showing how both effects can result from disrupting the organization of the FliG C-terminal domain, which interacts with the stator protein MotA to generate torque. Inhibition of motility and chemotaxis may represent a strategy to prepare for sedentary existence by disfavoring migration away from a substrate on which a biofilm is to be formed.

Genome-wide screening of genes whose enhanced expression affects glycogen accumulation in Escherichia coli

Using a systematic and comprehensive gene expression library (the ASKA library), we have carried out a genome-wide screening of the genes whose increased plasmid-directed expression affected glycogen metabolism in Escherichia coli. Of the 4123 clones of the collection, 28 displayed a glycogen-excess phenotype, whereas 58 displayed a glycogen-deficient phenotype. The genes whose enhanced expression affected glycogen accumulation were classified into various functional categories including carbon sensing, transport and metabolism, general stress and stringent responses, factors determining intercellular communication, aggregative and social behaviour, nitrogen metabolism and energy status. Noteworthy, one-third of them were genes about which little or nothing is known. We propose an integrated metabolic model wherein E. coli glycogen metabolism is highly interconnected with a wide variety of cellular processes and is tightly adjusted to the nutritional and energetic status of the cell. Furthermore, we provide clues about possible biological roles of genes of still unknown functions.

Biofilm formation by and multicellular behavior of Escherichia coli O55:H7, an atypical enteropathogenic strain

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is an important causal agent of diarrheal illness throughout the world. Nevertheless, researchers have only recently begun to explore its capacity to form biofilms. Strain O55:H7 (DMS9) is a clinical isolate belonging to the atypical EPEC (aEPEC) group, which displays a high degree of genetic relatedness to enterohemorrhagic E. coli. Strain DMS9 formed a robust biofilm on an abiotic surface at 26 degrees C, but not at 37 degrees C. It also formed a dense pellicle at the air-liquid interface and developed a red, rough, and dry (RDAR) morphotype on Congo red agar. Unlike a previously described E. coli O157:H7 strain, the aEPEC strain seems to express cellulose. Transposon mutagenesis was used to identify biofilm-deficient mutants. One of the mutants was inactivated in the csgFG genes, required for assembly and secretion of curli fimbriae, while a second mutant had a mutation in crl, a thermosensitive global regulator that modulates sigma(S) activity and downstream expression of curli and cellulose. The two mutants were deficient in their biofilm formation capabilities and did not form a pellicle at the air-liquid interface. Unlike in Salmonella, the csgFG mutant in aEPEC completely lost the RDAR phenotype, while the crl mutant displayed a unique RDAR "pizza"-like morphotype. Genetic complementation of the two mutants resulted in restoration of the wild-type phenotype. This report is the first to describe and analyze a multicellular behavior in aEPEC and support a major role for curli and the crl regulator in biofilm development at low temperatures corresponding to the nonmammalian host environment.

Identification, functional studies, and genomic comparisons of new members of the NnrR regulon in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Analysis of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 genome revealed four previously unidentified sequences similar to the binding site of the transcriptional regulator NnrR. Expression studies demonstrated that three of these sequences are within the promoters of genes, designated paz, norEF, and cdgA, in the NnrR regulon, while the status of the fourth sequence, within the tat operon promoter, remains uncertain. nnrV, under control of a previously identified NnrR site, was also identified. paz encodes a pseudoazurin that is a donor of electrons to nitrite reductase. paz inactivation did not decrease nitrite reductase activity, but loss of pseudoazurin and cytochrome c(2) together reduced nitrite reduction. Inactivation of norEF reduced nitrite and nitric oxide reductase activity and increased the sensitivity to nitrite in a taxis assay. This suggests that loss of norEF increases NO production as a result of decreased nitric oxide reductase activity. 2.4.3 is the only strain of R. sphaeroides with norEF, even though all four of the strains whose genomes have been sequenced have the norCBQD operon and nnrR. norEF was shown to provide resistance to nitrite when it was mobilized into R. sphaeroides strain 2.4.1 containing nirK. Inactivation of the other identified genes did not reveal any detectable denitrification-related phenotype. The distribution of members of the NnrR regulon in R. sphaeroides revealed patterns of coselection of structural genes with the ancillary genes identified here. The strong coselection of these genes indicates their functional importance under real-world conditions, even though inactivation of the majority of them does not impact denitrification under laboratory conditions.

Complex regulatory network encompassing the Csr, c-di-GMP and motility systems of Salmonella Typhimurium

Bacterial survival depends on the ability to switch between sessile and motile lifestyles in response to changing environmental conditions. In many species, this switch is governed by (3'-5')-cyclic-diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), a signalling molecule, which is metabolized by proteins containing GGDEF and/or EAL domains. Salmonella Typhimurium contains 20 such proteins. Here, we show that the RNA-binding protein CsrA regulates the expression of eight genes encoding GGDEF, GGDEF-EAL and EAL domain proteins. CsrA bound directly to the mRNA leaders of five of these genes, suggesting that it may regulate these genes post-transcriptionally. The c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterase STM3611, which reciprocally controls flagella function and production of biofilm matrix components, was regulated by CsrA binding to the mRNA, but was also indirectly regulated by CsrA through the FlhDC/FliA flagella cascade and STM1344. STM1344 is an unconventional (c-di-GMP-inactive) EAL domain protein, recently identified as a negative regulator of flagella gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that CsrA directly downregulates expression of STM1344, which in turn regulates STM3611 through fliA and thus reciprocally controls motility and biofilm factors. Altogether, our data reveal that the concerted and complex regulation of several genes encoding GGDEF/EAL domain proteins allows CsrA to control the motility-sessility switch in S. Typhimurium at multiple levels.

Bistable expression of CsgD in biofilm development of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium

Bacterial persistence in the environment and in the infected host is often aided by the formation of exopolymer-enclosed communities known as biofilms. Heterogeneous gene expression takes place in microcompartments formed within the complex biofilm structure. This study describes cell differentiation within an isogenic bacterial cell population based on the example of biofilm formation by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We analyzed the expression of the major biofilm regulator CsgD at the single-cell level with a chromosomal CsgD-green fluorescent protein (GFP) translational fusion. In individual cells, CsgD-GFP expression is mostly found in the cytoplasm. Quantitative expression analysis and results from three different models of S. Typhimurium biofilms demonstrated that CsgD is expressed in a bistable manner during biofilm development. CsgD expression is, however, monomodal when CsgD is expressed in larger amounts due to a promoter mutation or elevated levels of the secondary signaling molecule c-di-GMP. High levels of CsgD-GFP are associated with cellular aggregation in all three biofilm models. Furthermore, the subpopulation of cells expressing large amounts of CsgD is engaged in cellulose production during red, dry, and rough (rdar) morphotype development and in microcolony formation under conditions of continuous flow. Consequently, bistability at the level of CsgD expression leads to a corresponding pattern of task distribution in S. Typhimurium biofilms.

An oxygen-sensing diguanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase couple for c-di-GMP control

A commonly observed coupling of sensory domains to GGDEF-class diguanylate cyclases and EAL-class phosphodiesterases has long suggested that c-di-GMP synthesizing and degrading enzymes sense environmental signals. Nevertheless, relatively few signal ligands have been identified for these sensors, and even fewer instances of in vitro switching by ligand have been demonstrated. Here we describe an Escherichia coli two-gene operon, dosCP, for control of c-di-GMP by oxygen. In this operon, the gene encoding the oxygen-sensing c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase Ec Dos (here renamed Ec DosP) follows and is translationally coupled to a gene encoding a diguanylate cyclase, here designated DosC. We present the first characterizations of DosC and a detailed study of the ligand-dose response of DosP. Our results show that DosC is a globin-coupled sensor with an apolar but accessible heme pocket that binds oxygen with a K(d) of 20 microM. The response of DosP activation to increasing oxygen concentration is a complex function of its ligand saturation such that over 80% of the activation occurs in solutions that exceed 30% of air saturation (oxygen >75 microM). Finally, we find that DosP and DosC associate into a functional complex. We conclude that the dosCP operon encodes two oxygen sensors that cooperate in the controlled production and removal of c-di-GMP.

Analysis of pools of targeted Salmonella deletion mutants identifies novel genes affecting fitness during competitive infection in mice

Pools of mutants of minimal complexity but maximal coverage of genes of interest facilitate screening for genes under selection in a particular environment. We constructed individual deletion mutants in 1,023 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium genes, including almost all genes found in Salmonella but not in related genera. All mutations were confirmed simultaneously using a novel amplification strategy to produce labeled RNA from a T7 RNA polymerase promoter, introduced during the construction of each mutant, followed by hybridization of this labeled RNA to a Typhimurium genome tiling array. To demonstrate the ability to identify fitness phenotypes using our pool of mutants, the pool was subjected to selection by intraperitoneal injection into BALB/c mice and subsequent recovery from spleens. Changes in the representation of each mutant were monitored using T7 transcripts hybridized to a novel inexpensive minimal microarray. Among the top 120 statistically significant spleen colonization phenotypes, more than 40 were mutations in genes with no previously known role in this model. Fifteen phenotypes were tested using individual mutants in competitive assays of intraperitoneal infection in mice and eleven were confirmed, including the first two examples of attenuation for sRNA mutants in Salmonella. We refer to the method as Array-based analysis of cistrons under selection (ABACUS).

Gene expression patterns and differential input into curli fimbriae regulation of all GGDEF/EAL domain proteins in Escherichia coli

Switching from the motile planktonic bacterial lifestyle to a biofilm existence is stimulated by the signalling molecule bis-(3'-5')-cyclic-diguanosine monophosphate (cyclic-di-GMP), which is antagonistically controlled by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs; characterized by GGDEF domains) and specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs; mostly featuring EAL domains). Here, we present the expression patterns of all 28 genes that encode GGDEF/EAL domain proteins in Escherichia coli K-12. Twenty-one genes are expressed in Luria-Bertani medium, with 15 being under sigma(S) control. While a small subset of GGDEF/EAL proteins (YeaJ and YhjH) is dominant and modulates motility in post-exponentially growing cells, a diverse battery of GGDEF/EAL proteins is deployed during entry into stationary phase, especially in cells grown at reduced temperature (28 degrees C). This suggests that multiple signal input into cyclic-di-GMP control is particularly important in growth-restricted cells in an extra-host environment. Six GGDEF/EAL genes differentially control the expression of adhesive curli fimbriae. Besides the previously described ydaM, yciR, yegE and yhjH genes, these are yhdA (csrD), which stimulates the expression of the DGC YdaM and the major curli regulator CsgD, and yeaP, which contributes to expression of the curli structural operon csgBAC. Finally, we discuss why other GGDEF/EAL domain-encoding genes, despite being expressed, do not influence motility and/or curli formation.

Regulation of c-di-GMP metabolism in biofilms

Cyclic (5 to 3 )-diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a small molecule that regulates the transition between the sessile and motile lifestyle, an integrative part of biofilm formation and other multicellular behavior, in many bacteria. The recognition of c-di-GMP as a novel secondary messenger soon raised the question about the specificity of the signaling system, as individual bacterial genomes frequently encode numerous c-di-GMP metabolizing proteins. Recent work has demonstrated that several global regulators concertedly modify the expression of selected panels of c-di-GMP metabolizing proteins, which act on targets with physiological functions. Within complex feed-forward arrangements, the global regulators commonly combine the control of c-di-GMP metabolism with the direct regulation of proteins with functions in motility or biofilm formation, leading to precise and fine-tuned output responses that determine bacterial behavior. c-di-GMP metabolizing proteins are also controlled at the post-translational level by mechanisms including phosphorylation, localization, protein-protein interactions or protein stability. A detailed understanding of such complex regulatory mechanisms will not only help to explain the specificity in c-di-GMP signaling systems, but will also be necessary to understand the high phenotypic diversity within bacterial biofilms at the single cell level.

A role for the EAL-like protein STM1344 in regulation of CsgD expression and motility in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

The bacterial second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) regulates the transition between sessility and motility. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the expression of CsgD, the regulator of multicellular rdar morphotype behavior, is a major target of c-di-GMP signaling. CsgD expression is positively regulated by at least two diguanylate cyclases, GGDEF domain proteins, and negatively regulated by at least four phosphodiesterases, EAL domain proteins. Here, we show that in contrast to EAL domain proteins acting as phosphodiesterases, the EAL-like protein STM1344 regulated CsgD expression positively and motility negatively. STM1344, however, did not have a role in c-di-GMP turnover and also did not bind the nucleotide. STM1344 acted upstream of the phosphodiesterases STM1703 and STM3611, previously identified to participate in CsgD downregulation, where it repressed their expression. Consequently, although STM1344 has not retained a direct role in c-di-GMP metabolism, it still participates in the regulation of c-di-GMP turnover and has a role in the transition between sessility and motility.

The functional role of a conserved loop in EAL domain-based cyclic di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterase

EAL domain-based cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP)-specific phosphodiesterases play important roles in bacteria by regulating the cellular concentration of the dinucleotide messenger c-di-GMP. EAL domains belong to a family of (beta/alpha)(8) barrel fold enzymes that contain a functional active site loop (loop 6) for substrate binding and catalysis. By examining the two EAL domain-containing proteins RocR and PA2567 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we found that the catalytic activity of the EAL domains was significantly altered by mutations in the loop 6 region. The impact of the mutations ranges from apparent substrate inhibition to alteration of oligomeric structure. Moreover, we found that the catalytic activity of RocR was affected by mutating the putative phosphorylation site (D56N) in the phosphoreceiver domain, with the mutant exhibiting a significantly smaller Michealis constant (K(m)) than that of the wild-type RocR. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange by mass spectrometry revealed that the decrease in K(m) correlates with a change of solvent accessibility in the loop 6 region. We further examined Acetobacter xylinus diguanylate cyclase 2, which is one of the proteins that contains a catalytically incompetent EAL domain with a highly degenerate loop 6. We demonstrated that the catalytic activity of the stand-alone EAL domain toward c-di-GMP could be recovered by restoring loop 6. On the basis of these observations and in conjunction with the structural data of two EAL domains, we proposed that loop 6 not only mediates the dimerization of EAL domain but also controls c-di-GMP and Mg(2+) ion binding. Importantly, sequence analysis of the 5,862 EAL domains in the bacterial genomes revealed that about half of the EAL domains harbor a degenerate loop 6, indicating that the mutations in loop 6 may represent a divergence of function for EAL domains during evolution.

Characterization of cellulose production in Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 and its biological consequences

Bacterial species of the Enterobacteriaceae family produce cellulose and curli fimbriae as extracellular matrix components, and their synthesis is positively regulated by the transcriptional activator CsgD. In this group of bacteria, cellulose biosynthesis is commonly regulated by CsgD via the GGDEF domain protein AdrA, a diguanylate cyclase that produces cyclic-diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP), an allosteric activator of cellulose synthase. In the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 and its recent clonal isolates, CsgD activates the production of curli fimbriae at 28 degrees C, but neither CsgD nor AdrA is required for the c-di-GMP-dependent biosynthesis of cellulose at 28 degrees C and 37 degrees C. In these strains, the GGDEF domain protein YedQ, a diguanylate cyclase that activates cellulose biosynthesis in certain E. coli strains, is not required for cellulose biosynthesis and it has in fact evolved into a novel protein. Cellulose production in Nissle 1917 is required for adhesion of bacteria to the gastrointestinal epithelial cell line HT-29, to the mouse epithelium in vivo, and for enhanced cytokine production. The role of cellulose in this strain is in contrast to the role of cellulose in the commensal strain E. coli TOB1. Consequently, the role of cellulose in bacterial-host interaction is dependent on the E. coli strain background.

Quantitative determination of cyclic diguanosine monophosphate concentrations in nucleotide extracts of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The physiological response to small molecules (secondary messengers) is the outcome of a delicate equilibrium between biosynthesis and degradation of the signal. Cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a novel secondary messenger present in many bacteria. It has a complex cellular metabolism whereby usually more than one enzyme synthesizing and degrading c-di-GMP is encoded by a bacterial genome. To assess the in vivo conditions of c-di-GMP signaling, we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-mass spectrometry-based method to detect c-di-GMP with high sensitivity and to quantify the c-di-GMP concentration in the bacterial cell as described here in detail. We successfully used the methodology to determine and compare the c-di-GMP concentrations in bacterial species such as Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio cholerae. We describe the use of the methodology to assess the change in c-di-GMP concentration during the growth phase and the contribution of a point mutation in S. typhimurium to the overall cellular c-di-GMP concentration.

Inverse regulatory coordination of motility and curli-mediated adhesion in Escherichia coli

During the transition from post-exponential to stationary phase, Escherichia coli changes from the motile-planktonic to the adhesive-sedentary "lifestyle." We demonstrate this transition to be controlled by mutual inhibition of the FlhDC/motility and sigma(S)/adhesion control cascades at two distinct hierarchical levels. At the top level, motility gene expression and the general stress response are inversely coordinated by sigma(70)/sigma(FliA)/sigma(S) competition for core RNA polymerase and the FlhDC-controlled FliZ protein acting as a sigma(S) inhibitor. At a lower level, the signaling molecule bis-(3'-5')-cyclic-diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) reduces flagellar activity and stimulates transcription of csgD, which encodes an essential activator of adhesive curli fimbriae expression. This c-di-GMP is antagonistically controlled by sigma(S)-regulated GGDEF proteins (mainly YegE) and YhjH, an EAL protein and c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase under FlhDC/FliA control. The switch from motility-based foraging to the general stress response and curli expression requires sigma(S)-modulated down-regulation of expression of the flagellar regulatory cascade as well as proteolysis of the flagellar master regulator FlhDC. Control of YhjH by FlhDC and of YegE by sigma(S) produces a fine-tuned checkpoint system that "unlocks" curli expression only after down-regulation of flagellar gene expression. In summary, these data reveal the logic and sequence of molecular events underlying the motile-to-adhesive "lifestyle" switch in E. coli.

Living on a surface: swarming and biofilm formation

Swarming is the fastest known bacterial mode of surface translocation and enables the rapid colonization of a nutrient-rich environment and host tissues. This complex multicellular behavior requires the integration of chemical and physical signals, which leads to the physiological and morphological differentiation of the bacteria into swarmer cells. Here, we provide a review of recent advances in the study of the regulatory pathways that lead to swarming behavior of different model bacteria. It has now become clear that many of these pathways also affect the formation of biofilms, surface-attached bacterial colonies. Decision-making between rapidly colonizing a surface and biofilm formation is central to bacterial survival among competitors. In the second part of this article, we review recent developments in the understanding of the transition between motile and sessile lifestyles of bacteria.

Catalytic mechanism of cyclic di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterase: a study of the EAL domain-containing RocR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

EAL domain proteins are the major phosphodiesterases for maintaining the cellular concentration of second-messenger cyclic di-GMP in bacteria. Given the pivotal roles of EAL domains in the regulation of many bacterial behaviors, the elucidation of their catalytic and regulatory mechanisms would contribute to the effort of deciphering the cyclic di-GMP signaling network. Here, we present data to show that RocR, an EAL domain protein that regulates the expression of virulence genes and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO-1, catalyzes the hydrolysis of cyclic di-GMP by using a general base-catalyzed mechanism with the assistance of Mg(2+) ion. In addition to the five essential residues involved in Mg(2+) binding, we propose that the essential residue E(352) functions as a general base catalyst assisting the deprotonation of Mg(2+)-coordinated water to generate the nucleophilic hydroxide ion. The mutation of other conserved residues caused various degree of changes in the k(cat) or K(m), leading us to propose their roles in residue positioning and substrate binding. With functions assigned to the conserved groups in the active site, we discuss the molecular basis for the lack of activity of some characterized EAL domain proteins and the possibility of predicting the phosphodiesterase activities for the vast number of EAL domains in bacterial genomes in light of the catalytic mechanism.

Evolutionary loss of the rdar morphotype in Salmonella as a result of high mutation rates during laboratory passage

Rapid evolution of microbes under laboratory conditions can lead to domestication of environmental or clinical strains. In this work, we show that domestication due to laboratory passage in rich medium is extremely rapid. Passaging of wild-type Salmonella in rich medium led to diversification of genotypes contributing to the loss of a spatial phenotype, called the rdar morphotype, within days. Gene expression analysis of the rdar regulatory network demonstrated that mutations were primarily within rpoS, indicating that the selection pressure for scavenging during stationary phase had the secondary effect of impairing this highly conserved phenotype. If stationary phase was omitted from the experiment, radiation of genotypes and loss of the rdar morphotype was also demonstrated, but due to mutations within the cellulose biosynthesis pathway and also in an unknown upstream regulator. Thus regardless of the selection pressure, rapid regulatory changes can be observed on laboratory timescales. The speed of accumulation of rpoS mutations during daily passaging could not be explained by measured fitness and mutation rates. A model of mutation accumulation suggests that to generate the observed accumulation of sigma 38 mutations, this locus must experience a mutation rate of approximately 10(-4) mutations/gene/generation. Sequencing and gene expression of population isolates indicated that there were a wide variety of sigma 38 phenotypes within each population. This suggests that the rpoS locus is highly mutable by an unknown pathway, and that these mutations accumulate rapidly under common laboratory conditions.

Aggregation via the red, dry, and rough morphotype is not a virulence adaptation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

The Salmonella rdar (red, dry, and rough) morphotype is an aggregative and resistant physiology that has been linked to survival in nutrient-limited environments. Growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was analyzed in a variety of nutrient-limiting conditions to determine whether aggregation would occur at low cell densities and whether the rdar morphotype was involved in this process. The resulting cultures consisted of two populations of cells, aggregated and nonaggregated, with the aggregated cells preferentially displaying rdar morphotype gene expression. The two groups of cells could be separated based on the principle that aggregated cells were producing greater amounts of thin aggregative fimbriae (Tafi or curli). In addition, the aggregated cells retained some physiological characteristics of the rdar morphotype, such as increased resistance to sodium hypochlorite. Competitive infection experiments in mice showed that nonaggregative DeltaagfA cells outcompeted rdar-positive wild-type cells in all tissues analyzed, indicating that aggregation via the rdar morphotype was not a virulence adaptation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Furthermore, in vivo imaging experiments showed that Tafi genes were not expressed during infection but were expressed once Salmonella was passed out of the mice into the feces. We hypothesize that the primary role of the rdar morphotype is to enhance Salmonella survival outside the host, thereby aiding in transmission.