Salmonella Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Salmonella, including details on salmonella typhimurium, food poisoning, infection, treatment.

Phenotypic convergence mediated by GGDEF-domain-containing proteins.

Simm R, Fetherston JD, Kader A, Römling U, Perry RD

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, MS415 Medical Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.

GGDEF domain-containing proteins have been implicated in bacterial signal transduction and synthesis of the second messenger molecule cyclic-di-GMP. A number of GGDEF proteins are involved in controlling the formation of extracellular matrices. AdrA (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium) and HmsT (Yersinia pestis) contain GGDEF domains and are required for extracellular cellulose production and biofilm formation, respectively. Here we show that hmsT is able to restore cellulose synthesis to a Salmonella serovar Typhimurium adrA mutant and that adrA can replace hmsT in Y. pestis Hms-dependent biofilm formation. Like Y. pestis HmsT overproducers, Y. pestis cells carrying adrA under the control of an arabinose-inducible promoter produced substantial biofilms in the presence of arabinose. Finally, we demonstrate that HmsT is involved in the synthesis of cyclic di-GMP.

Published 16 September 2005 in J Bacteriol, 187(19): 6816-23.
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