Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.

Yersinia pestis forms a biofilm in the foregut of its flea vector that promotes transmission by flea bite. As in many bacteria, biofilm formation in Y. pestis is controlled by intracellular levels of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. Two Y. pestis diguanylate cyclase (DGC) enzymes, encoded by...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yi-Cheng Sun, Alexandra Koumoutsi, Clayton Jarrett, Kevin Lawrence, Frank C Gherardini, Creg Darby, B Joseph Hinnebusch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-04-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3084805?pdf=render
_version_ 1828342529030881280
author Yi-Cheng Sun
Alexandra Koumoutsi
Clayton Jarrett
Kevin Lawrence
Frank C Gherardini
Creg Darby
B Joseph Hinnebusch
author_facet Yi-Cheng Sun
Alexandra Koumoutsi
Clayton Jarrett
Kevin Lawrence
Frank C Gherardini
Creg Darby
B Joseph Hinnebusch
author_sort Yi-Cheng Sun
collection DOAJ
description Yersinia pestis forms a biofilm in the foregut of its flea vector that promotes transmission by flea bite. As in many bacteria, biofilm formation in Y. pestis is controlled by intracellular levels of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. Two Y. pestis diguanylate cyclase (DGC) enzymes, encoded by hmsT and y3730, and one phosphodiesterase (PDE), encoded by hmsP, have been shown to control biofilm production in vitro via their opposing c-di-GMP synthesis and degradation activities, respectively. In this study, we provide further evidence that hmsT, hmsP, and y3730 are the only three genes involved in c-di-GMP metabolism in Y. pestis and evaluated the two DGCs for their comparative roles in biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector. As with HmsT, the DGC activity of Y3730 depended on a catalytic GGDEF domain, but the relative contribution of the two enzymes to the biofilm phenotype was influenced strongly by the environmental niche. Deletion of y3730 had a very minor effect on in vitro biofilm formation, but resulted in greatly reduced biofilm formation in the flea. In contrast, the predominant effect of hmsT was on in vitro biofilm formation. DGC activity was also required for the Hms-independent autoaggregation phenotype of Y. pestis, but was not required for virulence in a mouse model of bubonic plague. Our results confirm that only one PDE (HmsP) and two DGCs (HmsT and Y3730) control c-di-GMP levels in Y. pestis, indicate that hmsT and y3730 are regulated post-transcriptionally to differentially control biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector, and identify a second c-di-GMP-regulated phenotype in Y. pestis.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T23:30:57Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c1ebd5439b11413e901d1ce9a6f7fee4
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T23:30:57Z
publishDate 2011-04-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-c1ebd5439b11413e901d1ce9a6f7fee42022-12-22T02:24:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-04-0164e1926710.1371/journal.pone.0019267Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.Yi-Cheng SunAlexandra KoumoutsiClayton JarrettKevin LawrenceFrank C GherardiniCreg DarbyB Joseph HinnebuschYersinia pestis forms a biofilm in the foregut of its flea vector that promotes transmission by flea bite. As in many bacteria, biofilm formation in Y. pestis is controlled by intracellular levels of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. Two Y. pestis diguanylate cyclase (DGC) enzymes, encoded by hmsT and y3730, and one phosphodiesterase (PDE), encoded by hmsP, have been shown to control biofilm production in vitro via their opposing c-di-GMP synthesis and degradation activities, respectively. In this study, we provide further evidence that hmsT, hmsP, and y3730 are the only three genes involved in c-di-GMP metabolism in Y. pestis and evaluated the two DGCs for their comparative roles in biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector. As with HmsT, the DGC activity of Y3730 depended on a catalytic GGDEF domain, but the relative contribution of the two enzymes to the biofilm phenotype was influenced strongly by the environmental niche. Deletion of y3730 had a very minor effect on in vitro biofilm formation, but resulted in greatly reduced biofilm formation in the flea. In contrast, the predominant effect of hmsT was on in vitro biofilm formation. DGC activity was also required for the Hms-independent autoaggregation phenotype of Y. pestis, but was not required for virulence in a mouse model of bubonic plague. Our results confirm that only one PDE (HmsP) and two DGCs (HmsT and Y3730) control c-di-GMP levels in Y. pestis, indicate that hmsT and y3730 are regulated post-transcriptionally to differentially control biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector, and identify a second c-di-GMP-regulated phenotype in Y. pestis.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3084805?pdf=render
spellingShingle Yi-Cheng Sun
Alexandra Koumoutsi
Clayton Jarrett
Kevin Lawrence
Frank C Gherardini
Creg Darby
B Joseph Hinnebusch
Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.
PLoS ONE
title Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.
title_full Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.
title_fullStr Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.
title_full_unstemmed Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.
title_short Differential control of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c-di-GMP diguanylate cyclases.
title_sort differential control of yersinia pestis biofilm formation in vitro and in the flea vector by two c di gmp diguanylate cyclases
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3084805?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT yichengsun differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases
AT alexandrakoumoutsi differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases
AT claytonjarrett differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases
AT kevinlawrence differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases
AT frankcgherardini differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases
AT cregdarby differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases
AT bjosephhinnebusch differentialcontrolofyersiniapestisbiofilmformationinvitroandinthefleavectorbytwocdigmpdiguanylatecyclases