Abstract
Microorganisms can switch from a planktonic, free-swimming life-style to a sessile, colonial state, called a biofilm, which confers resistance to environmental stress. Conversion between the motile and biofilm life-styles has been attributed to increased levels of the prokaryotic second messenger cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), yet the signaling mechanisms mediating such a global switch are poorly understood. Here we show that the transcriptional regulator VpsT from Vibrio cholerae directly senses c-di-GMP to inversely control extracellular matrix production and motility, which identifies VpsT as a master regulator for biofilm formation. Rather than being regulated by phosphorylation, VpsT undergoes a change in oligomerization on c-di-GMP binding.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Motifs
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Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
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Bacterial Proteins / genetics
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Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
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Binding Sites
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Biofilms / growth & development*
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Crystallography, X-Ray
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Cyclic GMP / analogs & derivatives*
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Cyclic GMP / metabolism
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DNA, Bacterial / metabolism
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Dimerization
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Extracellular Matrix / metabolism*
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Gene Expression Profiling
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Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
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Models, Molecular
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Movement
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Point Mutation
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Polysaccharides, Bacterial / genetics
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Polysaccharides, Bacterial / metabolism
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Protein Folding
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Protein Multimerization
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Protein Structure, Tertiary
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Signal Transduction
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Transcription Factors / chemistry
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription Factors / metabolism*
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Transcription, Genetic
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Vibrio cholerae O1 / cytology
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Vibrio cholerae O1 / genetics
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Vibrio cholerae O1 / physiology*
Substances
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Bacterial Proteins
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DNA, Bacterial
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Polysaccharides, Bacterial
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Transcription Factors
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bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid
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Cyclic GMP
Associated data
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GEO/GSE19479
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PDB/3KLN
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PDB/3KLO