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Method for Efficient Refolding and Purification of Chemoreceptor Ligand Binding Domain
Published on: December 12, 2017
Bacterial cell sensing and signaling pathway for external polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Wanpeng Wang1,2, Jingyu Xia1, Zining Wang1
1Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China.
Abstract:
The mechanism by which a bacterial cell senses external nutrients remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified a bacterial cell sensing system for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a common marine PAH-using bacterium, Cycloclasticus. It consists of an outer membrane receptor (PahS) and a periplasmic protein (PahP) in combination with a two-component sensing system (TCS) that ensures a rapid response to PAH occurrence by directly controlling serial reactions including chemotactic sensing and movement, PAH uptake and intracellular PAH metabolism. PahS protrudes from the cell and acts as a PAH sensor, transducing the PAH signal across the outer membrane to its periplasmic partner PahP, which in turn transduces the PAH signal across the periplasm to a specialized TCS. This sensing system plays a critical role in sensing and promoting the metabolism of PAHs, which can be scavenged by various hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria.
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