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- Title
A balancing act times two: sensing and regulating cell envelope homeostasis in B acillus subtilis.
- Authors
Fritz, Georg; Mascher, Thorsten
- Abstract
Bacterial cell wall homeostasis is an intricately coordinated process that ensures that envelope integrity is maintained during cell growth and division, but can also adequately respond to growth-limiting conditions such as phosphate starvation. In B acillus subtilis, biosynthesis of the two major cell wall components, peptidoglycan and anionic polymers, is controlled by a pair of paralogous two-component systems, WalRK and PhoPR respectively. Favorable growth conditions allow for a fast rate of cell wall biosynthesis ( WalRK- ON) and the incorporation of the phosphate-containing anionic polymer teichoic acids ( PhoPR- OFF). In contrast, growth-restricted cells under phosphate-limiting conditions reduce the incorporation of peptidoglycan building blocks ( WalRK- OFF) and switch from the phosphate-containing teichoic acids to the phosphate-free anionic polymer teichuronic acid ( PhoPR- ON). Botella et al. (2014) deepen our knowledge on the PhoPR system by identifying one signal that is perceived by its histidine kinase PhoR. In fast-growing cells, intracellular intermediates of teichoic acid biosynthesis are sensed by the cytoplasmic Per- Arnt- Sim domain as an indicator of favorable conditions, thereby inhibiting the autokinase activity of PhoR and keeping the system inactive. Depletion of teichoic acid building blocks under phosphate-limiting conditions relieves this inhibition, activates PhoPR-dependent signal transduction and hence the switch to teichuronic acid biosynthesis.
- Subjects
BACTERIAL cell wall synthesis; HOMEOSTASIS; BACILLUS subtilis; TEICHURONIC acid; BACTERIAL growth; BACTERIA
- Publication
Molecular Microbiology, 2014, Vol 94, Issue 6, p1201
- ISSN
0950-382X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/mmi.12848