Identification of critical amino acids in the DNA binding domain of LuxO: Lessons from a constitutive active LuxO

Quorum sensing plays a vital role in the environmental and host life cycles of Vibrio cholerae. The quorum-sensing circuit involves the consorted action of autoinducers, small RNAs, and regulatory proteins to control a plethora of physiological events in this bacterium. Among the regulatory proteins, LuxO is considered a low-cell-density master regulator. It is a homolog of NtrC, a two-component response regulator. NtrC belongs to an evolving protein family that works with the alternative sigma factor σ54 to trigger gene transcription. Structurally, these proteins comprise 3 domains: a receiver domain, a central AAA+ATPase domain, and a C-terminal DNA-binding domain (DBD). LuxO communicates with its cognate promoters by employing its DNA binding domain. In the present study, we desired to identify the critical residues in the DBD of LuxO. Our combined mutagenesis and biochemical assays resulted in the identification of eleven residues that contribute significantly to LuxO regulatory function.