Role of EAL-containing proteins in multicellular behavior of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

J Bacteriol. 2007 May;189(9):3613-23. doi: 10.1128/JB.01719-06. Epub 2007 Feb 23.

Abstract

GGDEF and EAL domain proteins are involved in turnover of the novel secondary messenger cyclic di(3'-->5')-guanylic acid (c-di-GMP) in many bacteria. The rdar morphotype, a multicellular behavior of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium characterized by the expression of the extracellular matrix components cellulose and curli fimbriae is controlled by c-di-GMP. In this work the roles of the EAL and GGDEF-EAL domain proteins on rdar morphotype development were investigated. Knockout of four of 15 EAL and GGDEF-EAL domain proteins upregulated rdar morphotype expression and expression of CsgD, the central regulator of the rdar morphotype, and partially downregulated c-di-GMP concentrations. More-detailed analysis showed that the EAL domain protein STM4264 and the GGDEF-EAL domain protein STM1703, which highly downregulated the rdar morphotype, have overlapping yet distinct functions. Another subset of EAL and GGDEF-EAL domain proteins influenced multicellular behavior in liquid culture and flagellum-mediated motility. Consequently, this work has shown that several EAL and GGDEF-EAL domain proteins, which act as phosphodiesterases, play a determinative role in the expression level of multicellular behavior of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Bacterial Adhesion
  • Bacterial Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology*
  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • Cyclic GMP / analogs & derivatives
  • Cyclic GMP / analysis
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Models, Biological
  • Movement
  • Salmonella typhimurium / cytology
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics
  • Salmonella typhimurium / physiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid
  • Cyclic GMP