Role of the PAS sensor domains in the Bacillus subtilis sporulation kinase KinA

Histidine kinases are sophisticated molecular sensors that are used by bacteria to detect and respond to a multitude of environmental signals. KinA is the major histidine kinase required for initiation of sporulation upon nutrient deprivation in Bacillus subtilis. KinA has a large N-terminal region (residues 1 to 382) that is uniquely composed of three tandem Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS) domains that have been proposed to constitute a sensor module. To further enhance our understanding of this "sensor" region, we defined the boundaries that give rise to the minimal autonomously folded PAS domains and analyzed their homo- and heteroassociation properties using analytical ultracentrifugation, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and multiangle laser light scattering. We show that PAS(A) self-associates very weakly, while PAS(C) is primarily a monomer. In contrast, PAS(B) forms a stable dimer (K(d) [dissociation constant] of <10 nM), and it appears to be the main N-terminal determinant of KinA dimerization. Analysis of KinA mutants deficient for one or more PAS domains revealed a critical role for PAS(B), but not PAS(A), in autophosphorylation of KinA. Our findings suggest that dimerization of PAS(B) is important for keeping the catalytic domain of KinA in a functional conformation. We use this information to propose a model for the structure of the N-terminal sensor module of KinA.