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Cao W, Huang C, Zhou X, Zhou S, Deng Y. Engineering two-component systems for advanced biosensing: From architecture to applications in biotechnology. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 75:108404. [PMID: 39002783 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Two-component systems (TCSs) are prevalent signaling pathways in bacteria. These systems mediate phosphotransfer between histidine kinase and a response regulator, facilitating responses to diverse physical, chemical, and biological stimuli. Advancements in synthetic and structural biology have repurposed TCSs for applications in monitoring heavy metals, disease-associated biomarkers, and the production of bioproducts. However, the utility of many TCS biosensors is hindered by undesired performance due to the lack of effective engineering methods. Here, we briefly discuss the architectures and regulatory mechanisms of TCSs. We also summarize the recent advancements in TCS engineering by experimental or computational-based methods to fine-tune the biosensor functional parameters, such as response curve and specificity. Engineered TCSs have great potential in the medical, environmental, and biorefinery fields, demonstrating a crucial role in a wide area of biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Cao
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Chao Huang
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xuan Zhou
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Shenghu Zhou
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
| | - Yu Deng
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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2
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Nieves M, Buschiazzo A, Trajtenberg F. Structural features of sensory two component systems: a synthetic biology perspective. Biochem J 2023; 480:127-140. [PMID: 36688908 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
All living organisms include a set of signaling devices that confer the ability to dynamically perceive and adapt to the fluctuating environment. Two-component systems are part of this sensory machinery that regulates the execution of different genetic and/or biochemical programs in response to specific physical or chemical signals. In the last two decades, there has been tremendous progress in our molecular understanding on how signals are detected, the allosteric mechanisms that control intramolecular information transmission and the specificity determinants that guarantee correct wiring. All this information is starting to be exploited in the development of new synthetic networks. Connecting multiple molecular players, analogous to programming lines of code, can provide the resources to build new sophisticated biocomputing systems. The Synthetic Biology field is starting to revolutionize several scientific fields, such as biomedicine and agriculture, propelling the development of new solutions. Expanding the spectrum of available nanodevices in the toolbox is key to unleash its full potential. This review aims to discuss, from a structural perspective, how to take advantage of the vast array of sensor and effector protein modules involved in two-component systems for the construction of new synthetic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Nieves
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alejandro Buschiazzo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Département de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Felipe Trajtenberg
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Wright GSA, Saeki A, Hikima T, Nishizono Y, Hisano T, Kamaya M, Nukina K, Nishitani H, Nakamura H, Yamamoto M, Antonyuk SV, Hasnain SS, Shiro Y, Sawai H. Architecture of the complete oxygen-sensing FixL-FixJ two-component signal transduction system. Sci Signal 2018; 11:11/525/eaaq0825. [PMID: 29636388 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaq0825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum is critical to the agro-industrial production of soybean because it enables the production of high yields of soybeans with little use of nitrogenous fertilizers. The FixL and FixJ two-component system (TCS) of this bacterium ensures that nitrogen fixation is only stimulated under conditions of low oxygen. When it is not bound to oxygen, the histidine kinase FixL undergoes autophosphorylation and transfers phosphate from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the response regulator FixJ, which, in turn, stimulates the expression of genes required for nitrogen fixation. We purified full-length B. japonicum FixL and FixJ proteins and defined their structures individually and in complex using small-angle x-ray scattering, crystallographic, and in silico modeling techniques. Comparison of active and inactive forms of FixL suggests that intramolecular signal transduction is driven by local changes in the sensor domain and in the coiled-coil region connecting the sensor and histidine kinase domains. We also found that FixJ exhibits conformational plasticity not only in the monomeric state but also in tetrameric complexes with FixL during phosphotransfer. This structural characterization of a complete TCS contributes both a mechanistic and evolutionary understanding to TCS signal relay, specifically in the context of the control of nitrogen fixation in root nodules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth S A Wright
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Akane Saeki
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Takaaki Hikima
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Yoko Nishizono
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Tamao Hisano
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Misaki Kamaya
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Kohei Nukina
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Hideo Nishitani
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Hiro Nakamura
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Masaki Yamamoto
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Svetlana V Antonyuk
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - S Samar Hasnain
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Yoshitsugu Shiro
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan. .,RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Hitomi Sawai
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan. .,RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
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Shimizu T, Huang D, Yan F, Stranava M, Bartosova M, Fojtíková V, Martínková M. Gaseous O2, NO, and CO in signal transduction: structure and function relationships of heme-based gas sensors and heme-redox sensors. Chem Rev 2015; 115:6491-533. [PMID: 26021768 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Toru Shimizu
- †Department of Cell Biology and Genetics and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
- ‡Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2 128 43, Czech Republic
- §Research Center for Compact Chemical System, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sendai 983-8551, Japan
| | - Dongyang Huang
- †Department of Cell Biology and Genetics and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
| | - Fang Yan
- †Department of Cell Biology and Genetics and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
| | - Martin Stranava
- ‡Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Bartosova
- ‡Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Fojtíková
- ‡Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Martínková
- ‡Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2 128 43, Czech Republic
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Lin YH, Pierce BD, Fang F, Wise A, Binns AN, Lynn DG. Role of the VirA histidine autokinase of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the initial steps of pathogenesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 5:195. [PMID: 24860585 PMCID: PMC4030172 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Histidine kinases serve as critical environmental sensing modules, and despite their designation as simple two-component modules, their functional roles are remarkably diverse. In Agrobacterium tumefaciens pathogenesis, VirA serves with VirG as the initiating sensor/transcriptional activator for inter-kingdom gene transfer and transformation of higher plants. Through responses to three separate signal inputs, low pH, sugars, and phenols, A. tumefaciens commits to pathogenesis in virtually all flowering plants. However, how these three signals are integrated to regulate the response and why these signals might be diagnostic for susceptible cells across such a broad host-range remains poorly understood. Using a homology model of the VirA linker region, we provide evidence for coordinated long-range transmission of inputs perceived both outside and inside the cell through the creation of targeted VirA truncations. Further, our evidence is consistent with signal inputs weakening associations between VirA domains to position the active site histidine for phosphate transfer. This mechanism requires long-range regulation of inter-domain stability and the transmission of input signals through a common integrating domain for VirA signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Han Lin
- Lynn Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - B. Daniel Pierce
- Lynn Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Fang Fang
- Lynn Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Arlene Wise
- Binns Lab, Department of Biology, Plant Sciences Institute, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew N. Binns
- Binns Lab, Department of Biology, Plant Sciences Institute, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA, USA
| | - David G. Lynn
- Lynn Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
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Zhang F, Keasling J. Biosensors and their applications in microbial metabolic engineering. Trends Microbiol 2011; 19:323-9. [PMID: 21664818 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2011.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Revised: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Many metabolic pathways in microbial hosts have been created, modified and engineered to produce useful molecules. The titer and yield of a final compound is often limited by the inefficient use of cellular resources and imbalanced metabolism. Engineering sensory-regulation devices that regulate pathway gene expression in response to the environment and metabolic status of the cell have great potential to solve these problems, and enhance product titers and yields. This review will focus on recent developments in biosensor design, and their applications for controlling microbial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuzhong Zhang
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
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Ninfa AJ. Use of two-component signal transduction systems in the construction of synthetic genetic networks. Curr Opin Microbiol 2010; 13:240-5. [PMID: 20149718 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2010.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2009] [Revised: 01/04/2010] [Accepted: 01/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Two-component signal transduction systems are a common type of signaling system in prokaryotes; the typical cell has dozens of systems regulating aspects of physiology and controlling responses to environmental conditions. In this review, I consider how these systems may be useful for engineering novel cell functions. Examples of successful incorporation of two-component systems into engineered systems are noted, and features of the systems that favor or hinder potential future use of these signaling systems for synthetic biology applications are discussed. The focus will be on the engineering of novel couplings of sensory functions to signaling outputs. Recent successes in this area are noted, such as the development of light-sensitive transmitter proteins and chemotactic receptors responsive to nitrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Ninfa
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0606, USA.
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Structure of PAS-Linked Histidine Kinase and the Response Regulator Complex. Structure 2009; 17:1333-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2009.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2009] [Revised: 07/22/2009] [Accepted: 07/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Yamada S, Shiro Y. Structural Basis of the Signal Transduction in the Two-Component System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2008; 631:22-39. [DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-78885-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Kishii R, Falzon L, Yoshida T, Kobayashi H, Inouye M. Structural and Functional Studies of the HAMP Domain of EnvZ, an Osmosensing Transmembrane Histidine Kinase in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:26401-8. [PMID: 17635923 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m701342200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The HAMP domain plays an essential role in signal transduction not only in histidine kinase but also in a number of other signal-transducing receptor proteins. Here we expressed the EnvZ HAMP domain (Arg(180)-Thr(235)) with the R218K mutation (termed L(RK)) or with L(RK) connected with domain A (Arg(180)-Arg(289)) (termed LA(RK)) of EnvZ, an osmosensing transmembrane histidine kinase in Escherichia coli, by fusing it with protein S. The L(RK) and LA(RK) proteins were purified after removing protein S. The CD analysis of the isolated L protein revealed that it consists of a random structure or is unstructured. This suggests that the EnvZ HAMP domain by itself is unable to form a stable structure and that this structural fragility may be important for its role in signal transduction. Interestingly the substitution of Ala(193) in the EnvZ HAMP domain with valine or leucine in Tez1A1, a chimeric protein of Tar and EnvZ, caused a constitutive OmpC phenotype. The CD analysis of LA(RK)(A193L) revealed that this mutated HAMP domain possesses considerable secondary structures and that the thermostability of this entire LA(RK)(A193L) became substantially lower than that of LA(RK) or just domain A, indicating that the structure of the HAMP domain with the A193L mutation affects the stability of downstream domain A. This results in cooperative thermodenaturation of domain A with the mutated HAMP domain. These results are discussed in light of the recently solved NMR structure of the HAMP domain from a thermophilic bacterium (Hulko, M., Berndt, F., Gruber, M., Linder, J. U., Truffault, V., Schultz, A., Martin, J., Schultz, J. E., Lupas, A. N., and Coles, M. (2006) Cell 126, 929-940).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuta Kishii
- Discovery Research Laboratories, Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shimotsuga, Tochigi 329-0114, Japan
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Abstract
Escherichia coli histidine kinases play an essential role in sensing external environmental changes. Since the majority of these are transmembrane proteins, it is believed that their periplasmic domains function as receptor and transduce a signal through the transmembrane domain to their cytoplasmic enzymatic domains. Therefore, it is important to understand how signal transduction modulates the enzymatic activities of histidine kinase across transmembrane. Osmosensor histidine kinase EnvZ and chemoreceptor Tar are well-characterized signal-transducing proteins; a fusion of these two proteins would prove to be an ideal tool not only for characterization of histidine kinase EnvZ, but also, more importantly, as a general approach for studying the molecular mechanism of signal transduction across transmembranes. Tar-EnvZ chimeric protein served as a useful tool to study how the signal modulates enzymatic activities of EnvZ by using a well-defined chemical, aspartate, as a receptor ligand. As more and more genome sequences are being published, the number of identified histidine kinases is rapidly growing. The analysis of these newly identified histidine kinases revealed that the architecture of their cytoplasmic domains is more complex than was perceived based on E. coli histidine kinases. Therefore, chimeric proteins of these histidine kinases with Tar receptor would be helpful to study the mechanism of signal transduction. This chapter describes methods for designing chimeric proteins between a histidine kinase of interest and the Tar receptor and applications of the chimeric protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Yoshida
- Department of Biochemistry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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Yamada S, Akiyama S, Sugimoto H, Kumita H, Ito K, Fujisawa T, Nakamura H, Shiro Y. The Signaling Pathway in Histidine Kinase and the Response Regulator Complex Revealed by X-ray Crystallography and Solution Scattering. J Mol Biol 2006; 362:123-39. [PMID: 16890956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2006.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2006] [Revised: 07/05/2006] [Accepted: 07/06/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The structure of a histidine kinase (ThkA) complexed with a response regulator (TrrA) in the two-component regulatory system from hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima was determined by a combination of X-ray crystallography at a resolution of 4.2 A and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The boundary of the three component domains (PAS-sensor, dimerization and catalytic domains) of ThkA and the bound TrrA molecule were unambiguously assigned in the electron density map at 4.2 A resolution. ThkA forms a dimer with crystallographic 2-fold symmetry and two monomeric TrrAs bind to the ThkA dimer. SAXS experiments also confirmed this association state in solution and specific binding between ThkA and TrrA (Kd=8.2x10(-11) M(-2)). The association interface between ThkA and TrrA contains the phosphotransfer His residue in the ThkA, indicative of an efficient receipt of the phosphoryl group. One Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain does not interact with the other PAS domain, but with the catalytic domain of the same polypeptide chain and with one TrrA molecule. Observed inter-domain and inter-molecular interactions reveal a definite pathway of signal transduction in the kinase/regulator complex. In addition, we propose a responsible role of TrrA for the feedback regulation of sensing and/or kinase activities of ThkA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiji Yamada
- Biometal Science Laboratory, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Harima Institute, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
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