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Quantification of Cytosolic vs. Vacuolar Salmonella in Primary Macrophages by Differential Permeabilization
Published on: July 28, 2015
Acidic pH and divalent cation sensing by PhoQ are dispensable for systemic salmonellae virulence
Kevin G Hicks1, Scott P Delbecq2, Enea Sancho-Vaello3
1Department of Microbiology, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, United States.
Abstract:
Salmonella PhoQ is a histidine kinase with a periplasmic sensor domain (PD) that promotes virulence by detecting the macrophage phagosome. PhoQ activity is repressed by divalent cations and induced in environments of acidic pH, limited divalent cations, and cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMP). Previously, it was unclear which signals are sensed by salmonellae to promote PhoQ-mediated virulence. We defined conformational changes produced in the PhoQ PD on exposure to acidic pH that indicate structural flexibility is induced in α-helices 4 and 5, suggesting this region contributes to pH sensing. Therefore, we engineered a disulfide bond between W104C and A128C in the PhoQ PD that restrains conformational flexibility in α-helices 4 and 5. PhoQ(W104C-A128C) is responsive to CAMP, but is inhibited for activation by acidic pH and divalent cation limitation. phoQ(W104C-A128C) Salmonella enterica Typhimurium is virulent in mice, indicating that acidic pH and divalent cation sensing by PhoQ are dispensable for virulence.
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