The Conserved Serine Transporter SdaC Moonlights To Enable Self Recognition

Cells can use self recognition to achieve cooperative behaviors. Self-recognition genes are thought to principally evolve in tandem with partner self-recognition alleles. However, other constraints on protein evolution could exist. Here, we have identified an interaction outside self-recognition loci that could constrain the sequence variation of a self-recognition protein. We show that during collective swarm expansion in Proteus mirabilis, self-recognition signaling co-opts SdaC, a serine transporter. Serine uptake is crucial for bacterial survival and colonization. Single-residue variants of SdaC reveal that self recognition requires an open conformation of the protein; serine transport is dispensable. A distant ortholog from Escherichia coli is sufficient for self recognition; however, a paralogous serine transporter, YhaO, is not. Thus, SdaC couples self recognition and serine transport, likely through a shared molecular interface. Self-recognition proteins may follow the framework of a complex interaction network rather than an isolated two-protein system. Understanding the molecular and ecological constraints on self-recognition proteins lays the groundwork for insights into the evolution of self recognition and emergent collective behaviors. IMPORTANCE Bacteria can receive secret messages from kin during migration. For Proteus mirabilis, these messages are necessary for virulence in multispecies infections. We show that a serine transporter, conserved among gammaproteobacteria, enables self-recognition. Molecular co-option of nutrient uptake could limit the sequence variation of these message proteins. SdaC is the primary transporter for l-serine, a vital metabolite for colonization during disease. Unlike many self-recognition receptors, SdaC is sufficiently conserved between species to achieve recognition. The predicted open conformation is shared by transport and recognition. SdaC reveals the interdependence of communication and nutrient acquisition. As the broader interactions of self-recognition proteins are studied, features shared among microbial self-recognition systems, such as those of Dictyostelium spp. and Neurospora spp., could emerge.