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Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 cupD transcription is activated by the RcsB response regulator, but repressed by its

Gianlucca G Nicastro1, Ana Laura Boechat, Cecília M Abe

  • 1Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|October 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

The RcsB regulator controls Pseudomonas aeruginosa cupD fimbrial gene expression. RcsB positively regulates cupD mRNA levels, impacting bacterial adaptation and virulence in different environments.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Gene Regulation

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 has multiple fimbrial cup clusters for environmental adaptation.
  • The cupD gene is located in the PAPI-1 pathogenicity island near the RcsC/RcsB phosphorelay system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transcriptional regulation of the cupD gene in P. aeruginosa.
  • To determine the role of the RcsC/RcsB system in cupD expression and bacterial phenotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cupD mRNA levels in wild-type and mutant strains (MvaT, rcsC, rcsB).
  • Assessing bacterial virulence in plant and mouse infection models.
  • Determining the transcription start site and identifying potential RcsB binding motifs.

Main Results:

  • MvaT showed minimal impact on cupD transcript levels.
  • cupD transcription was higher at 28°C, correlating with attenuated virulence in plants.
  • RcsC deletion increased cupD mRNA, while RcsB deletion decreased it.
  • RcsB overexpression enhanced cupD transcription, biofilm formation, and fimbriae production.
  • A specific transcription start site for cupD was identified and shown to be RcsB-inducible.

Conclusions:

  • The RcsB response regulator plays a crucial role in positively regulating cupD transcription.
  • RcsB influences P. aeruginosa virulence and biofilm formation through cupD.
  • The identified RcsB binding motif suggests conserved regulatory mechanisms across different bacterial species.

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